Difference
by Shiraiyuki
Summary: Ria is a quiet girl with a strange history- although not many know about it. When she is faced with freedom, she chooses to shed her name and past to embrace a new life as a normal girl - rest @ top of story, doesn't fit O.o //Fuji x OC // Rated T in case
1. Prologue The Beginning

The summary of this story wouldn't fit, so here it is :P

_Ria is a quiet girl with a strange history - although not many know about it. When she is faced with freedom, she chooses to shed her name and past to embrace a new life as a normal girl. The only thing she kept with her is her love and talent in music - but in doing so, she's risks everything, including her close friendships, her independence, and any chance she might have at true love._

This took up 6 pages on MS word O.o So I think it might be a _little _too long... ;P But I felt it important to tell you a bit about Ria's history now rather than unfold all of it later in the story :D Please review :) I enjoy hearing constructive criticism :D

This is my third _attempt_ (1st story on quizilla, 2nd on fanfiction- but no plot really) at a Fuji fanfic :P I tend to give up wayyy to easily... But I have some really interesting ideas for this story :D Anyways- Ria will slowly become Amane Lianna (I really like that last name- I've used it twice already for the main characters in my stories, but they are in no way related ;P)

Anyways- enjoy :D

* * *

_Prologue - The Beginning  
_

"M- Marriage?!" Ria stuttered, sitting before the tall man known as her father.

"That's right. As my eldest daughter, you will be married to the heir of another wealthy family to strengthen the bonds between those of a more... noble blood." He said, looking down at the girl who stared up at him horror-struck.

"I won't." She said, standing up to look him in the eye.

"You will do what your father commands."

"I refuse." Ria said, her eyes burning with rage. "I will not be used as a pawn."

"Daughter. Come here. Now."

Gritting her teeth, the thirteen year old girl walked towards her father, still glaring. She stopped when she reached within a half-meter of him.

"Come closer. I will not bite." He said, but Ria knew better.

She took four steps forward. She was within an arms length of him, and her anger still hadn't subsided.

"You _will_ marry him. And you _will_ be happy." The man ordered.

"I will not be the caged wife of some wealthy pig!"

"Caged?" He asked, amused. "You have many years before you are to be wed. You are only thirteen now. That gives you seven years to do whatever you wish before you are married and become this, 'caged wife of a wealthy pig', was that it Daughter?"

Ria's voice shook with anger as she spoke bitterly.

"I will never acknowledge you as my father. I am not your daughter. My only family is Tayu. If I no longer have a mother, then I've no father ei-"

The loud slap resounded through the emptiness of the room. Ria fell back three steps as a cause of the impact.

"You will learn to shut your mouth when needed and to obey your father!" He yelled at the girl in front of him.

"How could I ever think of you as my father?" Ria said, looking at the man in disgust.

That earned the girl yet another blow on the cheek. Ria stood still and took the punishment for her sharp tongue as countless emotions formed suddenly in her heart, threatening to tear it apart.

"Perhaps that knocked some sense into you, girl!" He yelled, out of breath from disciplining her.

Ria said nothing.

"You will say yes when I tell you this again. You will be married to the eldest son of Kishito-san. Now speak."

Standing in her spot and gritting her teeth, Ria replied, "Yes."

"And you will not disobey me again."

"Yes."

"Good. Now leave." The man smiled, pleased with himself.

Ria turned and walked towards the heavy oak door. She slid it open slowly and closed it behind her as she left. She continued to walk to the other end of the house where she shared a room with her twin sister, Tayu.

"Onee-chan..." The girl stuttered as a worn out Ria walked into the safe bedroom. "You talked back again... didn't you?"

"Yeah..."

"Get dressed into your nightgown. Then I'll work on your bruises."

"Alright." Ria said, walking to the closet and opening a drawer. She quickly slipped on her nightgown - a short white dress that reached her knees and left her arms bare as it was short-sleeved.

"It hurt a lot more this time, Tayu.. Ow!" Ria yelled as Tayu washed her cheek and spread some cool feeling cream on it.

"Sorry about this Tayu... Sometimes I think you should have been the oldest." Ria said, chuckling as her sister began to put the cream on her arm.

"I don't think 15 seconds really made a difference in who's more mature, Onee-chan." She said, smiling. "So... what did Father say that made you so angry? You must have been pretty rude, considering these marks."

After a long pause, Ria spoke.

"Father said that my marriage has already been arranged."

"W-what?!"

"I'm getting married..."

"To who...?" Tayu asked, anxious to hear the name of her soon to be brother-in-law.

"Kishito." Ria said, looking up at Tayu sadly.

"M-Matsui-kun?" Tayu asked, feeling her heart being ripped in two.

"I'm so sorry Tayu!" Ria said, feeling horribly guilty.

"Onee-chan... will marry Matsui-kun... W-why?"

"I don't know why it's him!" Ria said, closing her eyes. She couldn't bear to see her sister like that. That...fragile... and broken.

"That's not it... Onee-chan..." Tayu voice cracked as she spoke, each word weighing like lead on her tongue. "W-why...? Why... does this hurt so much...?"

Opening her eyes, Ria saw her sister's hands tremble as she put one to her chest.

"W-why am I crying like this? Why?!" She asked her voice shrill. "I don't... understand!"

"I don't know Tayu..." Ria said, tears running down her face as well now. "I- I don't know."

The twins sat on the floor in their room, both sobbing for different reasons, crying themselves to sleep.

Hours later, Ria woke up to find her sleeves still soaking wet and the room was pitch black. A few slivers of moonlight came in from behind the curtains and she could see the outline of Tayu, fast asleep on the ground beside her.

"That's probably what I look like too..." Ria thought, looking at Tayu's puffy eyes. "I have to act quickly."

Determined, Ria slid open the window and grabbed her pillow and blanket off her bed. She threw them out the open window and took one last look at Tayu's sleeping figure before climbing out the opening and closing it shut behind her. Ria ran off the property that had been known to her as home and followed the road towards town.

"It's colder than I imagined..." Ria mumbled to herself as she walked past fields and fields of emptiness with the wind at her back.

Everything was black. Darkness. Ria began to get a little scared. At every sound, she jumped, only to find a stray bird or a stick that had broken under the pressure of her foot. Suddenly, a light appeared from behind her.

"I've been found out! I'm done for-" She thought, panicked.

She turned to see a delivery truck.

"Need a ride?" An old lady from inside asked, looking at the strange girl who had been wandering the countryside alone at night.

The woman was short and old, but certainly not frail. She was probably around the 60s or 70s. Her frizzy gray hair draped onto her shoulders and a thick woolen shawl was wrapped tightly around her. Although she appeared to be quite old, her eyes were dark, awake and playful.

"You have to be careful, little girl! I almost ran you over – I didn't see you!" She exclaimed. "What are you doing out here so late?!"

Ria sighed and thought of an excuse.

"May I come in first? It's pretty cold out here." She said, stalling for time.

"Oh, I'm so sorry – of course, come on in." The old lady said, unlocking the door.

The strong wind blew the door wide open.

"It must be _very_ cold – the wind's so strong! It's almost winter too. Hurry, before my door blows away!" She yelled, holding onto her pink shawl tightly.

Ria put her pillow on the seat and wrapped her blanket around her body. Then she climbed into the truck, which was very warm to Ria's delight. The door closed with much effort on the young girl's behalf.

"Now what are you doing out here at this time of night?" She asked, looking suspiciously at Ria.

"I could ask the same about you." She said, still thinking of an excuse.

"Me? Well, I'm delivering a shipment of watermelons to Tokyo. But that's different – this is _my job_."

"You're going to Tokyo? Oh- could you take me too? You see, I'm from America and came to Japan to visit my grandmother in Tokyo – but the plane took me to some weird city I haven't even heard of before and I've been wandering around ever since." Ria said, knowing the excuse had countless holes in it.

"Why didn't you just say so?" The old lady asked, surprised. "Your grandmother must be worried sick if she's anything like me!"

"...She actually... believed it..." Ria thought, amazed.

"So what's your name?"

"...Lianna." Ria said, using the first name that had popped into her head. It wouldn't have been safe to use her real name.

"It's nice to meet you, Lianna-chan. You can call me Shiron-san."

The old woman continued to talk about _her_ grandchildren and the situations they got in on the way to Tokyo. After a three hour drive, they finally reached the city.

"This should be far enough." Ria thought, seeing all the tall buildings.

"So what does your grandmother's house look like?" She asked, looking at Ria who was half-asleep.

"Well... She owns a... sushi shop."

"How do I know which one to drop you off at?" Shiron-san questioned.

"Um... It's named after my family name..."

Ria looked around and spotted a sushi shop with the sign, "Kawamura Sushi" in the distance.

"And your last name is...?"

"Kawamura." Ria lied. "My full name is Kawamura Lianna."

"Oh! Could that be your grandmother's shop?" She asked, looking at the shop you had found only moments before.

"Yes! That's it! Thank you so much, Shiron-san!" Ria yelled, faking happiness and opening the truck's door as the vehicle slowed to a stop.

Ria hopped out, bringing her belongings with her. "Thank you so much for the ride. I would have never found my grandmother if it wasn't for you!"

"You're very welcome dear. And take a watermelon from the back. Give that to your grandmother in apology for being so late!"

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you!" Ria grabbed a large green melon from the back of the white truck and watched the kind lady drive away.

As soon as she was out of sight, Ria walked down the street, looking for a place to sleep.

Looking at the low sun, it was early morning – maybe 5 or 6 am. And of course, it was the fall – the temperature wasn't exactly pleasant, even in Tokyo. With her pillow, blanket, and a watermelon, Ria walked further down the street before finding what looked like a school. All her life, she had been home-schooled. She had lived quite an isolated life, only associating with her sister Tayu. This was her first time at one. Ria walked onto the school's grounds and saw what happened to be a shed.

"It'll be like living in a small house." Ria thought, trying to open the door of the small structure.

"Just my luck – it's locked." She muttered, cursing under her breath.

Ria looked around, searching for something to open the door. In the dirt field nearby, she found a large rock. With one blow to the lock, the rusty metal broke and Ria slid open the metal door, trying not to attract any attention. She threw her things into the shed and closed the door behind her, keeping the cold from coming in. Wrapping herself in the blanket, she laid down on the cold concrete floor and put her head on the pillow. It wasn't like sleeping on a cloud – but it was freedom.

_Ria was free_.

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Now that wasn't too bad- was it? Reviews or messages about what you think are appreciated


	2. Chapter 1

_Chapter 1 - Friendship_

The dismissal bell rang and students all around Seishun Gakuen packed their books and ran to be on time for their clubs, or met their friends in the hallway, indulging themselves in a bit of gossiping. 14 year old Amane Lianna did none of the above. As all the other students raced to clear out of the school, she quickly made her way to an old wing of Seigaku where many empty classrooms were now used as storage. She had to make sure she wasn't seen by anyone as that area was strictly out of bounds, but normally, it was empty. No one entered that place because there was nothing of value inside - nothing anyone could use. But there was something for Lianna. Once she reached the end of the hallway, she opened a door on her right and walked inside. Cardboard boxes were lined up against one wall and rows of desks were placed against the other.

Lianna opened the dusty wooden closet at the back of the classroom and took out a long black case. Inside - was an old, yet beautifully preserved violin. Music was Lianna's life. It was the only thing she could use to express herself fully. And when she played music was the only time when she felt like she wasn't living as a worthless lie. Sitting on the top of a desk, she placed the violin under her cheekbone and closed her eyes. The movements of the bow siding back and forth on the strings came naturally to her. Music brought back memories – and memories brought back pain. Although the notes brought her sadness, Lianna did not cry. Her tears had dried up. She no longer did such a thing.

Since she started attending Seigaku in her 2nd year, Lianna had sneaked off to the small room by herself and let go of her emotions. Today, she recalled a memory of Tayu. And her mother. It was their first trip to the park. This memory was bittersweet. Remembering this event with Tayu made her happy, but coming to realize that yet again her mother was no longer with her brought her pain. All her emotions came though in her music. When Lianna finally set the violin down and placed it back into its case, she sat in the chair, shaking her head.

"Oh God- get a hold of yourself, Ria!" She yelled at herself. "Be happy! Enjoy your freedom while it lasts."

...

Little did she know that each time she played, someone was listening. Outside on the grass and leaning against a tall and strong oak tree sat the tennis tensai, Fuji Syusuke.

"Hmm... Done already?" He asked, getting up from his spot under the shady tree. "The music club must be having a short practice today."

"Today's piece was... hard to describe. It sounded... I can't really tell... maybe... regretful." Fuji thought, trying to remember the music he had heard only moments before. "A great piece as always though. Amazing how nothing else can take my mind off of tennis more than that violin."

Fuji had been sitting under that same tree and listening to the music that leaked out from a small half-opened window for about a week now. Whenever he felt stressed, nervous, worried, or angry about something (although it was almost always tennis) he just listened. By the end of the piece, he always felt... like he started over. He felt renewed.

"Usually, the club stays longer. Their practices can't be _that_ short."

...

After stowing away the instrument in the back of the closet, Lianna walked down the stairs and into the main hallway which was already completely empty. Even though she heard it everyday, she still couldn't get used to the eerie silence of the empty school. Once she opened the door and stepped out into the bright sunlight, she felt better – much, much better. The school grounds on the other hand, were still pretty busy. The soccer team was practicing on the field, the basketball team was using the outdoor court for a change, and the art club was painting the school – which Lianna had just stepped out of.

"Ack - gomen!" Lianna yelled, getting out of the way.

"It's ok!" She heard the students yell back at her as she ran off to the side.

Taking her usual route home, Lianna walked past the girls tennis courts, stopped and peered in, looking for any signs of her friend, Miyuki. Suddenly, Lianna felt someone's hands closed on her shoulders. Shocked, she turned around, expecting to find her father, wearing his fake venomous smile. Instead, she found a tall orange-haired girl who let go immediately and burst out laughing.

"I bet I scared you, Ann-chan!" She said, grinning.

"N-no! Why would I be scared by that?"

"Admit it! I got you good!"

"F-fine." Lianna replied, still recovering from the mental shock of 'seeing' her father. "You scared me. Now never do it again or I'll... pull your hair!"

"Ahhhh!" She yelled, running in circles like an idiot.

"Miyuki... You can stop running anytime now." Lianna said, sighing.

"But you'll pull my hair!" Miyuki said, giving her a fake pout.

Lianna smiled. It was surprising, really. Everyone wondered about it – that is, how Miyuki and Lianna were the best of friends. They couldn't be any more different. Miyuki was tall, had long straight orange hair which she always wore down, and bright blue eyes. She was loud, energetic, playful, and boy-crazy (like many of the other girls in their year -.-'). Lianna, on the other hand was of average height, if not shorter. She had dark brown hair which was always thrown in a quick bun, and chocolate brown eyes.

To sum it up, Miyuki was drop-dead gorgeous. Lianna was average. Not so pretty and not so... un-pretty. Lianna also wore glasses – not that she needed them, but she claimed to "like them" when people asked. She was quiet, yet able to fight for what she believed in. To her classmates that didn't normally talk to her, she was serious, calm, and distant. To Miyuki and a select few she called _friends_, she was the sarcastic one who always planned ahead and could be easily amused (and when I say easily amused, I mean she could play with a ball of yarn and she'd be happy for hours -.-')

"Heading home?" Miyuki asked, grinning and leaning against a tree.

"Yeah – I just finished my homework in the library." Lianna said smiling. "So I walked past here on my way home... expecting to find you _practicing_."

"Ahh... about the practicing part..." Miyuki said, giving Lianna a goofy grin and rubbing the back of her head.

"You forgot your racket... again?"

"Heh heh... yeah." She said sheepishly.

"I swear Miyuki... If your head wasn't screwed on tight-"

"This is the last time, I promise!" Miyuki said, holding out her pinky finger.

Lianna took her own pinky and placed it around her friend's. "Promise?"

"Yup!" Miyuki said.

"Fine. Well, I really have to go- and you have to practice. Try going to the boy's courts. They always have a few rackets to spare- the greedy, spoiled-"

"Ann-chan!"

"I know... I know. I'll just shut up now." Lianna said, sighing.

"Really, you haven't met anyone from the tennis team. How can you say they're all spoiled... or greedy... or anything else you've called them before?"

Lianna narrowed her eyes. "I bumped into one of the regulars the other day – a first year. He knocked into me during lunch. I apologized, but all he did was scoff and walk away to his high and mighty friends. If that's the way he treats his sempai, then I'd like to see how he treats his friends."

"A first year regular... on the boy's team...?" Miyuki asked, marveling at the news. "I'm already in my third year- and I've never even come close to becoming a regular!"

"Yeah- and not only that, but they get the new courts while you girls are stuck with this rusty place!"

"Ann-chan! It's not their fault that-"

"But, Miyuki! It's true, isn't it? The boys are always sent to the tournaments, funded by the school while the Seigaku girls' tennis club is stuck here, being neglected by almost everyone!"

"You don't understand. I know you don't think its right, but you have to face the fact that we girls... aren't exactly good at tennis." Miyuki admitted, looking off to a stray leaf.

"But you still deserve a chance to go to the tournaments! With a bit of practice, you could all become better!"

"Calm down Ann-chan..."

Lianna took a deep breath. She was getting agitated over something that didn't even concern her. Why did she always do this?

"Ok... I'm good now." Lianna declared, feeling her heart rate slow down.

"But you know... maybe you're right."

"You think?" Lianna asked, smiling at her friend.

That was when a loud ring broke the silence, making Miyuki jump and Lianna start running. It was her alarm on her watch.

"I really have to go this time! Sorry! They'll kill me if I'm late for dinner!" Lianna yelled to her friend as she sprinted towards home.

"B-bye Ann-chan! See you tomorrow morning!" Miyuki said, sweat dropping at the sight of her shocked friend.

"She always plans ahead... Yet time is never on her side." She thought, laughing to herself as Lianna quickly ran out of her sight.

...

"I'm late! Late!" Lianna thought as she got closer and closer to her house. She swung open the unlocked door and stopped, exhausted from the run. She was greeted with a tackle.

"Lia-chan!"

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Yay! 1st chapter (yet such a boring chapter- it's just to show you what Lianna's character is like) :D Fuji's gonna come in at about the 2nd or 3rd chapter O.o Sorry for dragging it on so long you guys :( I have a tendency to drag things on for a longgg time. Oh ya- I'll pretty much only be updating on weekends :D

Once again, please review or send me a message with how you think it's going if you have time :D


	3. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2 – Family_

"Gahh!" Lianna screamed as she went flying to the floor.

"Nii-san!!" She yelled, kicking the lump at her feet. "Never do that again! How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"But Lia-channnn" He whined.

"And I told you to never call me that! It's Lianna – not Lia!"

"Fine..." The young man said, pouting. "Lianna-chan is so mean..."

"Are you two fighting... again?" An older woman asked who had walked into the hall. "Get up, Kojiro!"

The boy got up, running his right hand through his dark black hair. Then, he turned to Lianna and extended his left hand.

"Come on, Lia-chan. Up you go!"

Lianna swatted the hand away and got up on her own.

"Lianna. Not Lia. And I can get up on my own, thank you." She said stubbornly.

The old lady chuckled and smiled at the two.

"Really- anyone would believe that you two were actually siblings." She said

"Really, Obaa-chan?!" Kojiro exclaimed, putting an arm around Lianna and putting his cheek against hers.

She moved away and narrowed her eyes. Kojiro fell to the ground.

"Keep your distance, Kojiro-nii-san. I wouldn't want any of your stupidity to rub off on me."

"Ahh! That was so mean, Lia-chan!" He yelled, fake-sobbing.

"Lianna! It's NOT Lia!"

"Lia-chan!"

"Lianna!"

"Lia-chan!!"

"Lianna!"

"Lia-chan!"

"Dinner!"

The two stopped in mid-argue.

"Oh yeah..." Kojiro smiled evilly. "You were late for supper."

Lianna froze. She hoped that they had overlooked that little detail, but apparently not.

"That's right, Lia-chan... You were late by 2 minutes. That means you have to do the dishes!"

"Dishes..." Lianna thought miserably. "And whenever I do dishes, Kojiro-nii-san always ends up eating more than he usually does... meh."

The old lady chucked. She knew he would too.

"Obaa-chan!!" Kojiro yelled, looking at the kitchen table in amazement. "You cooked my favorite!"

Lianna groaned.

"Hai." The lady said, laughing. "I thought you'd deserve a treat once in awhile."

Lianna sat down at a chair. Kojiro rushed to sit beside her – as if someone else would beat him to it. His grandmother sat on the opposite side so she could face the two children.

"Itadakimasu!" They all said in unison.

"So..." The old lady started. "How was school, Lianna-chan?"

"It was alright – I studied a bit after school at the library as usual. I guess I lost track of time, Koharu-san... Heh heh heh... We also have a field trip coming up. I have to give you the form when we get it."

"That's good. How about you, Kojiro-kun?"

The young man put his chopsticks down and spoke.

"Nothing new. Same old, same old. I was thinking of moving into the dorms actually... but there would be no point now. My third year's almost over after all."

Lianna looked at her 'brother' with wide eyes and a touched expression.

"You didn't move into the dorms? It's because you'd miss me too much, isn't it? Nii-san's truly too kind!"

"L-Lia-chan... Could you have finally-?"

He was in mid-glomp when Lianna let go of the top part of her spoon. Mashed potatoes flew from the utensil onto Kojiro's face.

"Kidding." Lianna said, giving him a way-too-sweet smile.

Though surprised, he stuck out his tongue and took some of the food from his cheek. "You know... the potatoes really taste good, Obaa-chan!"

The old lady howled with laughter.

"This is why I'll never get old! You two keep me young!"

For once, Kojiro and Lianna both agreed on something.

"You bet we do!" They said at the same time, grinning.

"Destiny!" Kojiro yelled, closing in for a hug.

"Oh God- no!" Lianna yelled, diving under the table.

"Lia-chan!! Where did you go?! You can't leave without finishing dinner!" Kojiro said, looking under the table to find it empty.

"I've finished already!" Lianna's voice came from upstairs. "Thanks for dinner, Koharu-san!"

"You're welcome, dear!" The old lady yelled back up, smiling.

"When... did she finished her dinner? She must inhale food or something..." Kojiro said, looking at Lianna's empty plate.

"I don't know Kojiro. She's a special one, she is." Koharu-san said, still smiling.

Suddenly, the boy remembered something.

"Lia-chan! You have to wash the dishes!!"

"It's Lianna! And what was that?" Her voice rang from her room. "You'll wash the dishes for me, nii-san? Arigato!"

"I- No! That's not- I know you heard me! Lia-chan!!"

..

Upstairs in her room, Lianna laid on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She had locked the door when she came in, so she removed her glasses and let her hair hang loose. With these small changes, she felt a little less like Lianna and a little more like Ria. She pawed around for the remote.

"It has to be on the night table then." Ria thought as she couldn't feel the cold metal of the clicker. "Ah- found it!"

She pointed it at the small television in her room and pressed the power button. The tv turned on with a beep. Lianna leaned back and closed her eyes. The news was full of stories – car crashes here, tremors there.

"Nothing major..." She thought and slowly dozed off to sleep.

"And this just in, the murderer of a 15 year old girl, Shufa Kokako is on the run after almost being caught by the Japanese police on Tuesday. Witnesses describe him as being 180 centimeters in height with black hair and dark brown eyes. He was seen fleeing from the scene wearing a dark blue jacket and dark jeans. Anyone with information is asked to notify the Japanese police."

...

_The next day :D_

Fuji woke up feeling quite odd. Usually, he didn't have dreams. He always had quite a peaceful rest. But for the past few days, he had the same dream, over and over. A dream of that music. He sat in bed with his eyes closed as always, recalling the dream.

He was sitting under the tree that he had started to visit just recently. It was sunny and warm. Small pieces of sunlight made it through the thick leaves and branches over him. Fuji was wearing his tennis uniform as usual, and leaning against the tree, eating some green apples. The soft music drifted out from the window as he smiled and got up from where he was sitting. He walked towards the building and in through the door. In front of it were stairs, leading both up and down. Each time Fuji took another step up the stairs, the music got louder. It was coming from a room on the second floor. Then, he reached a single classroom. The music was loud – as if it came from behind the door. Fuji rushed over to it and pulled the door open. The music enveloped him for a moment – and then it disappeared.

_Fuji woke up._

He got out of bed shaking his head in an attempt to clear his mind of the dream and continued pacing towards his bathroom where he took his time getting ready for another day of school. There was no tennis practice this morning for him. All the regulars were allowed a break.

"Nothing special about today." He said to himself, wiping a drop of water off his cheek away with his facecloth.

* * *

-sighs- This is such a boring chapter. I know. Don't hurt me! -hides behind a random giant ponta that just happened to be there- You wouldn't hurt this, would you? O.O -ducks as giant straws are chucked- Oh... just never mind!

Anyways, this chapter was pretty boring again (like I said above) and I apologize for my lack of writing skills -.-' It's basically more info on Lianna and now she's met Fuji :) Please review or message :D

**Side Note**: Lianna hates it when her 'nii-san' calls her Lia-chan because it sounds like Ria-chan (L's sound alot like R's in Japanese) :D If she was found out because of that, all her hard work to run away would have been for nothing, no?


	4. Chapter 3

_To the Reviewers _

**She'llNeverBeTheSame** - Awwww :) Thank you :D You were one of the first people to comment on my story :) You have no idea how much that means to me

**Invisible-gurl** - That's good :D I don't like her father either ;P And yupyup :) Ria/Lianna has a new family -nods happily- You'll find out how this came to be later on :) Stay tuned! (yes, I know. it's not like this is a tv show, but i've _always_ wanted to say that)

* * *

_Chapter 3 – Music Class – Part 1_

Lianna sat on a bench outside the girls' tennis courts where countless boys stood with their faces pressed against the fence, hoping to catch a glimpse of the club members, all decked out in their uniforms. Every so often, one would exclaim,

"Look! Look at her!"

To that, Lianna would just shake her head and mumble, "Now really. Control yourselves at the very least. Poor girls... another reason I didn't join the tennis club with Miyuki..."

"Ann-chan!" Someone screamed out as they excited the courts.

"Morning, Miyuki." Lianna replied as the orange-haired girl gave her a hug.

This happened every morning. Earlier, Lianna had woken up and walked to Miyuki's where she picked up the forgotten lunch that was left behind and then proceeded to the Seigaku tennis courts. There, she'd wait for Miyuki to finish practice. She always bounced out of the courts, not even noticing the stares she was receiving from a number of males she passed.

"Dense as usual..." Lianna thought, looking at Miyuki who was grinning and appeared to be quite spaced out. (O.o yes, she does this often)

"Alright, eyes back in those eye-sockets!" Lianna yelled, addressing the boys who immediately turned away and acted as if they did nothing wrong.

"Hmm?" Miyuki asked and turned to look.

"Nothing, Miyuki. Nothing at all."

"Ah..."

"Practice over?" Lianna asked, handing Miyuki her packed bento.

"Yup- and I remembered to bring my racket this time!"

"...But you still forgot your lunch... again."

"But I remembered to bring my racket!" Miyuki said, waving her heavy looking pink racket up and down for Lianna to see.

"You're right." Lianna smiled. "So what's your first class today?"

"Music, with Haruko-sensei."

"Oh- me too."

"We're in the same class then, Ann-chan!" She said, giving Lianna a bear hug.

"Trying... to breathe... Mi... yuki..." Lianna stuttered between long gasps for air.

"Ahh! Gomen!" She yelled, immediately letting go. "Well- I'll get changed and then I'll see you in class!"

She wanted to get away before Lianna had regained her normal strength. Who knows what she'd do after being nearly choked to death – and at this time in the morning as well. Lianna wasn't exactly a morning person.

She sighed and looked at her friend who was running towards the change rooms.

"Hurry though – The bell rings in 15 minutes! You don't want to be late again. I'm running out of excuses to use for you!"

"Alright!" Miyuki waved bye quickly and ran through the door.

Lianna sighed yet again and turned to head back towards the school.

"15 minutes..." Lianna thought. "Maybe... I'll head to the music room. Most probably, no one's in there yet. Maybe I could even sneak a book or two of sheet music for later..."

When she arrived at the classroom, Lianna opened the door and her eyes widened at what she found. The room was empty. No one was inside, but sitting on the desk in the front of the classroom was a beautifully polished violin.

"It's beautiful... Nothing like the one I've been playing with for the past year..." Lianna thought.

Against her better judgment, she closed her hand around the neck of the violin and lifted it from its stand.

"So... light..." Lianna thought. She was entranced by the instrument. Her eyes paled and closed half-way. She was leaning against the desk for support. Her arm moved of its own accord and she slowly put it to her neck, resting the violin under her chin. She had rid her mind of all thought. And all she could think of was the violin.

"Excuse me..." A voice cut through Lianna's trance.

Her eyes widened in surprise and realization if what she was actually doing. The instrument slipped from Lianna's fingers and slowly dropped. She screamed out and caught it, just before it hit the ground. Still panting from the shock, Lianna placed the violin on the desk, suddenly afraid of it and what it could do to her. Then, she realized she wasn't alone.

"Gomen. I didn't mean to scare you." A soft voice said.

Lianna looked up to find a boy in her year with light brown hair and closed eyes. He was smiling.

"Eh- No... It was my fault. I wasn't paying attention to what was happening." Lianna said, taking a step away from the desk. "What did you want?"

"Actually... I don't know." The boy said, chuckling. "I was just thinking that you must know how to play the violin. You _did_ seem to know how to hold it and everything."

"Um... No. I've never played the violin in my life." Lianna lied.

"Is that so?" He said, still smiling.

"Yes... um... I don't suppose we've met..."

"Oh- my apologies. My name is Fuji Syuusuke, third year."

"Amane Lianna." Lianna said, bowing deeply.

"Your family is very attached to customs and traditions aren't they?"

Lianna frowned at the sudden personal question made by someone she had just met. "N-no... not really."

"Oh. I see. It's just... you bowed so slowly and low too. Not many people do that these days, especially with classmate introductions." He chuckled. "Not as respectful as in the past."

The bell rang loudly.

"I see." Lianna said, making a mental note to not bow as she normally did, as it could give away her noble heritage. "Well, it was nice to meet you, Fuji-san."

"Likewise, Amane-san."

Lianna turned and walked to a desk in the second row. She sat down and started to unpack her belongings into the empty desk. When she looked up, she noticed that Fuji had chosen to sit in the desk on her right – the spot what Miyuki would usually sit in whenever they had classes together.

"So this is the famous Fuji Syuusuke, huh? He seems like a girly-boy too... Just what are you thinking, Miyuki?"

She frowned a little and looked back towards the door, looking for any signs of her friend. When an orange head showed up against the other heads of dark hair, Lianna smiled.

"Over here, Miyuki!"

"Ann-chan!" Miyuki yelled, bouncing over to her. But when she turned to the desk on Lianna's right, she blinked. "Oh- Fuji-san..."

"Morning, Kiyo-san." Fuji said, looking at the tall girl happily. "We seem to be in the same class again."

"H-hai..." Miyuki flushed and mumbled that she'd sit on Lianna's left. Lianna watched her friend sit at her desk and then bury her face in her arms.

"Oh yes-" Lianna thought, amused. "She's embarrassed. But over...what was his name again? Fuji-san. That was it. Over Fuji? Sure, I guess he's kind of cute, but he still looks a lot like a girl... I never thought he'd be Miyuki's type... And that smile..." Lianna shuddered.

"Quiet down class!" The teacher said as he walked into the room. "There will be no seatwork today like we normally have. Instead, we are going to do something more... fun."

The class perked, up at the sound of no work. Lianna widened her eyes with hope. For the entire year she had been taking music, Haruko-sensei had never allowed them to touch any of the instruments.

"As you can see," He continued. "We have a violin at the front of the class. Today, we will be experiencing the difference of music when played with emotion. The violin is a perfect instrument to demonstrate this with. Tou-san, will you come to the front of the class?"

A tall girl with long wavy black locks and bright green eyes stood up, grinning. Yes, Lianna knew her. Tou Mitsuki. Everyone knew her. She was rich, stuck up, and one of those people that always thought of themselves as better than the others.

"Tou-san is the president of the music club, as you all probably already knew. She is extremely gifted in this art and we are very lucky to hear her play today. Her specialty is the violin. She will be demonstrating what music with emotion sounds like, compared to... just music. "

Lianna blinked. Mitsuki smirked. Miyuki grinned in excitement. And Fuji... he just listened.

* * *

Alrighty... I kept my promise :) Fuji came into the picture in Chapter three! -grins widely until pelted with tomatoes- Alright... maybe he didn't get a huge part... but he's still there o.o This was a short chapter... just the beginning of music class and Lianna's opinion of Fuji :D

Please review or message :D

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	5. Chapter 4

_To the reviewers (with much love :D)_

**invisible-gurl **- She has heard of Fuji, but has never met him, so she basically had no clue what he looked like until meeting him. She also knows about most of the Seigaku regulars as most of her friends are on the Girls' tennis team and have a bit of a... how would I say this... obsession.

**red-jello04** - I try not to :D But sometimes it happens ;P Sorry for the long wait too, but I'll dedicate this chappie to you as your comment made me work that much harder ;P

* * *

_Chapter 4 – Music Class – Part 2  
Dedicated to red-jello04_

"This first song is entitled, 'First day of spring'. Tou-san will play this piece just like it's written; nothing more, nothing less."

Mitsuki lifted the violin and set it under her cheekbone. Grinning larger than Lianna thought was humanly possible, she put the bow to the strings and played the notes.

"Yes. These notes _are_... meaningless." Fuji thought as he listened to the piece. "Could she be the one I've been listening to? She _is_ the president of the music club."

"Now class, Tou-san will play with expression. Listen closely for the differences, though it will be _very_ easy to tell the difference." Haruko-sensei said smiling.

Mitsuki played, this time faster and more jumpy.

"Yes... I guess it is... happier. But I couldn't feel anything." Fuji thought as he listened to the notes. Sitting on his left was Lianna with her eyes closed and her mouth drawn together in a frown.

"I'm... disappointed. This is _all_ the president of the music club can do? Sure, she sped up the tempo to make it sound livelier, but for some reason... it doesn't sound _happy_." Lianna thought. "And that violin. It may appear beautiful... but I'd rather play the one I found than this one. It sounds so... different."

The class applauded and Lianna joined in. Fuji sat in his desk thinking,

"No... It can't be Tou-san... but who else could have been the one playing that violin? Someone else in the club? No. Tou-san's favorite instrument is the violin. If someone was better than her with the violin, they'd be the president. But they could be hiding their talents... But no one would hide such a talent... Hm- I'll find out somehow..."

"This next piece is called, 'A Shortcut to Heaven'. Guess what emotion is being expressed." The teacher said, nodding to signal the start of the song.

Lianna closed her eyes and listened to the music. A few minutes passed before she opened her eyes again.

"So... empty. Could this mean... loneliness? No. It's not quite that..." Lianna thought, scrunching her eyebrows up in confusion.

"Anyone want to take a shot at it?" The teacher asked, scanning the class. "No one...? Then I'll pick... What about you Kiyo-san?"

Miyuki blinked in surprise.

"M-me? Well... I think... um... what?"

Haruko-sensei sighed.

"Kiyo-san. What is the emotion that was expressed though that piece?"

"I... couldn't really tell... gomenasai." Miyuki said, looking down at the ground in shame.

"Then what about you, Amane-san?" Haruko-sensei asked, turning to look at Lianna.

"Eh- well... I couldn't really tell either... All I heard was... emptiness." Lianna finished quietly.

"Amane-san. You cannot_ hear _emptiness."

"If I can't hear emptiness... Than what was that?" Lianna questioned herself.

"The emotion expressed in "A Shortcut to Heaven" is grief, sorrow, and the feeling of surrendering or giving up." The teacher read from his manual. "Now, how many of you heard that?"

Only a few hands rose.

"Try to listen more carefully next time, class." He said, sighing once more.

"It's not that we can't hear it," Fuji thought. "But the fact that Tou-san couldn't put those certain feelings into the piece... Not that I can really talk. I haven't heard much music other than that violin... but I'm sure of it now. Tou-san and that violinist are not the same person."

"Can we have a round of applause to thank Tou-san for her time?" Haruko-sensei asked, staring down at the students.

A weak applause sounded and stopped quickly. Mitsuki walked back to her desk, flipping her hair with each step.

"...How can she walk like that...?" Lianna thought, looking at the girl who had taken a seat in front of her.

The bell rang as the teacher finished up the lesson and reminded the students to review their notes for tomorrow's lesson. Along with the others who had packed their books and prepared to leave for lunch, Fuji got up from his desk and walked to Mitsuki.

"F-Fuji-kun!" Mitsuki said as Fuji greeted her. "What's new?"

"Nothing much, how about you, Tou-san?"

"Just Mitsuki's fine, Fuji-kun!" She said, winking her right eye.

"... Sure... Mitsuki...san."

"But I'm exhausted! The music club meetings plus all my recitals have been taking a lot out of me these days! You understand, don't you Fuji-kun? It's very much the same as a tennis tournament."

"Right... I was wondering..." Fuji said slowly.

"Hai?" She asked, eagerly. "W-what is it?"

"Could I drop by and hear the music club perform one day?"

"Of course! I'd... I mean... _We_'_d_ love to have you there!" Mitsuki said breathlessly.

"When can I come?"

"After school, today at 4!"

"I'll see you there." Fuji said as he turned and walked towards the door.

"It's a date!" Mitsuki yelled to him as he left the classroom.

Fuji didn't reply.

...

At lunch, Miyuki and Lianna sat with some other girls in one of the more secluded fields of Seigaku. The girls were generally closer to Miyuki as all of them were on the girls' tennis team and Lianna wasn't.

"Practice was so tough this morning!"

"Ahhh! I knowww!! My arms are still sore!"

"How come you weren't there, Shira-chan?"

A short third year girl (even shorter than Lianna O.o) with straight brown hair looked down at her lunch and spoke.

"I was... watching someone else play tennis..."

"Who?" Miyuki asked, her voice ringing though the field.

She blushed and replied quietly, "The boys' team..."

"Seriously?!"

Shrieks were heard from many of the girls.

"What was it like?!" One asked, excitedly.

"Was Tezuka-sama there?" (you can tell if it's a fangirl or not, huh? ;P)

"Did you see Oishi-kun and Kikumaru-kun?"

"Is it true that they have a first year regular?" Lianna asked, finally speaking.

The girl took a deep breath, wishing the blushing would stop and grinned.

"Tezuka-kun was supervising like usual... he was so hot..." She said with a dreamy voice.

"And the golden pair!" She squealed with a high-pitched voice. "Oishi-san and Kikumaru-san..."

She sighed and fell onto the grass, looking up into the sky, putting a hand to her heart.

"I can't even think of any words to describe them!"

Almost all the girls squealed in happiness and delight. Lianna chuckled and shook her head.

"Oh yeah- and there _is _a first year regular, Lianna-chan!" She said suddenly, getting up from the ground.

"Is he cute?" One asked, and they all broke out into giggles.

"Actually, he IS!" She yelled, howling with laughter. "He's this adorable chibi with black-green hair and gorgeous almost gold eyes!"

"Ahhh!! Does he hang out with Momo-kun and Fuji-kun, Shira-chan?"

"He does!" She nodded happily, still quite pink.

"Kyaa! I knew it! Those with gorgeous eyes will definitely be drawn to others with eyes just as pretty as theirs!"

They all laughed, surprised from the sudden outburst. Lianna sat beside Miyuki, nibbling at her strawberry jam sandwich and occasionally taking a sip from her glass bottle of juice. Somehow, she always had enough time to make her nii-san a bento in the morning before school, but she never had enough time to make one for herself, even if she woke up an hour earlier than usual.

"Those eyes..."

"Momo-kun's purple eyes... He's a year younger than us, but you could still get lost in those orbs!"

"And Fuji-kun!" Another squealed. "He rarely opens his eyes and I haven't ever seen them myself, but I've heard they're a gorgeous shade of blue!"

Once again, they all sighed with pleasure in unison, expect for Lianna who was busy eating her sandwich.

"That's why you like him, right Miyuki? Because of his eyes?" Lianna asked, nudging her friend.

Miyuki flushed and stuttered, "T-that's not true. W-why would you think I liked Fuji-kun, Ann-chan?"

The other girls giggled at Miyuki's embarrassment.

"Don't worry Miyuki-chan" Shira yelled, grinning. "We all already know!"

"Ehh?!" Miyuki cried out in surprise, no- in horror. "You all know?"

"Yup!" A blond girl with dark black eyes said, nodding her head. "But we don't blame you- who wouldn't fall for him?" She sighed and smiled.

"No one..." Miyuki said, her smile faltering. "There are so many others he'd rather choose... than me."

"Miyuki." Lianna said, frowning at her friend. "Stop being so pessimistic!"

The four girls laughed.

"That coming from you, Lianna?" Shira asked, giggling.

Lianna punched her gently in the arm and took on a hurt expression.

"I have no idea what you mean."

"Well, look at the bright side, Miyuki! You don't have to worry about Fuji picking one of us!" The blond said, giving her a warm smile.

"Hiraka-chan..." Miyuki said softly.

"Gee... I don't know... He _is_ Fuji-kun after all." Shira said, winking at Miyuki.

Lianna laughed. "Well- you don't have to worry about me at the very least, Miyuki."

She smiled. "I really don't know how you do it, Ann-chan." She laughed. "You can talk so easily with guys – yet not take an interest in them at all."

"That's because I'm the only one sane enough here not to drool over those tennis regulars. Besides, I'm not girlfriend material, remember?"

Whenever Lianna's relationships were brought up, she'd always say the same thing. All the girls had heard this before. Only Miyuki seemed to know what it meant. The others didn't think it would be right to ask what she meant by that – so they just assumed that something had happened in the past to give her such a dislike of that topic.

"Speaking of Fuji-kun..." Hiraka said, trying to get away from the awkward conversation. "He was sitting in the desk next to you when Miyuki came over to sit with you. How come?"

Lianna knew where this was going.

"We met before class started. He introduced himself, so I did as well and the bell rang. He chose to randomly sit there." Lianna said as she chewed the last bit of her sandwich and pawed around in her lunch bag for more food.

"So the fact that he chose to sit in the desk beside you was just a _coincidence_?" A girl with wavy black hair asked, obviously doubting it.

"Listen, Connie. We just met today. It's not going to be like some Cinderella story where I walk through the door and he immediately gets attached to me- ok?" Lianna said, wondering how Miyuki must have been feeling. "By the way, a friend of mine tells me that Fuji's birthday is soon. What are you going to do for him, Miyuki?"

Her eyes widened in surprise.

"What?! When? I had no idea!" She whispered in a panicked voice.

"Miyuki..." Lianna sighed. "It's this Saturday. You have two days to figure out something, unless you want to wait another four years."

"...What?"

"He's a leap year baby."

"Ahhh!! And I almost missed his birthday!" Miyuki yelled out loud.

She sat down and her eyebrows scrunched up in thought. After a few minutes, her eyes brightened up and she smiled.

"I... have no idea!"

Everyone fell over, dumbfounded. And everyone had something to say.

"What do you mean you have no idea?!" Hiraka shouted.

Shira flipped. "Two days, Mi-chan, two days!"

"Try giving him something handmade so he knows you care! Maybe you could make him a card, or... or... bake him cookies! I've heard the Seigaku regulars like cookies!" Connie suggested.

"But I can't cook! I've burned everything I've ever tried making!" Miyuki said with a guilty look.

"You can always buy a few cookies from the bakery..." Lianna said, shrugging her shoulders.

They all stared at her.

"Are you crazy?!"

"_Buy_ cookies for him?"

"Are you sure you're a girl?!"

"...What's so bad about buying cookies from the bakery...?" Lianna asked, her left eye twitching every few seconds.

"Ever heard of people saying that it's always better to give something handmade since it comes from the heart?" Shira asked.

"Yeah... I think Kojiro-nii said that once at Christmas when he gave me a really ugly mustard yellow scarf that he knitted himself." She shuddered at the memory. "It's in the back of my closet now..."

"..."

"What...?"

"..."

"What?!"

"... Nothing... nothing at all..."

"Well, I still think you should give him some cookies!" Connie said, grinning.

"But I can't bake! Ahh! What do I do?!" Miyuki asked, extremely puzzled.

"Sorry, Mi-chan... You know I can't cook either." Connie said, frowning.

"Neither can I..." Shira said sadly.

"I can cook!" Hiraka exclaimed happily.

"Really?!" Miyuki asked, cheering up.

"Yupyup!" She grinned. "I cooked dinner last night! It was alphabet soup."

"... Was that from a can by any chance...?" Lianna asked, hoping she'd say it was from scratch.

"Yup!"

"..."

"You have got to be kidding me." Lianna thought, resisting the urge to sweat-drop.

"Ah! Lia-chan!"

"Lianna, Connie. Lianna. Not Lia."

"Fine! Lianna-chan. But you can help Miyuki! You must know how to bake! You were the only one who didn't burn anything when we took that cooking class last year! You must know something from all that time you spend helping out at the bakery on your weekends! Koharu-san must have taught you enough to at least make _cookies_."

"But-" Lianna began.

"Please, Ann-chan?" Miyuki asked, giving her friend a pleading look.

"Oh god- not the puppy dog eyes... Ah- Miyuki- stop. I don't – oh – Fine!" Lianna finished after attempting to avoid looking Miyuki in the eye. "But you're doing most of the work."

Before she knew it, she found Miyuki's arms wrapped around her neck.

"Arigato, Ann-chan!" She shouted as she tightened her grip.

"Air...N-need... Air..." Lianna stuttered once again.

"Ehhh! I did it again! Gomen, Ann-chan!!"

She let go and Lianna coughed, attempting to breathe.

"You're gonna owe me so much..." Lianna said, taking deep breaths.

The others kept quiet. She was already ticked off. That much they could tell.

* * *

Sorry if it's **really** confusing to read. Even I got confused as I typed it O.o Anyways, you don't have to memorize everyone's who's there for lunch :P They're just minor characters. You just have to remember Lianna/Ria and Miyuki :) But just in case you're wondering, here's a list of all the people who are there for lunch :)

_Amane Lianna (or Ria)  
Kiyo Miyuki  
Connie  
Shira  
Hiraka_

Anyways- Sorry for the long wait, I had writers block O.o

Please review or message :)


	6. Chapter 5

_To the reviewers:_

**Moonlitelover** - :D lol I love that :P You've given me an idea now ;P Maybe I'll do that :)

**red-jello04 **- Ahh :D You're like my regular reviewer now :) That makes me so happy :D And I'll try- I might not be updating as much so I've made this chapter _extra long_ (and I mean long as in two-chapters-in-one long :P)

**invisible-gurl** - You're like my regular reviewer too :D I must give you hugs :) And yupyup- she ends up baking the cookies. And Fuji won't find out about her for awhile...

**singer in the wind** - Thank you :D You've made me happy too :) I shall give you an air-hug :D

* * *

_Chapter 5 – English Class_

When Lianna arrived at her English class, she took a seat and withdrew a heavy textbook from her bag. She really didn't need to take this class. Ria was quite fluent in English, as well as French as her mother had been a translator before _it_ happened. But Lianna was average. She didn't excel in English, but didn't do too poorly in that subject either. With that, class began.

The English teacher was a young woman who had just probably come out of teachers' collage. She had long light brown hair that was neatly braided and extended to her waist. When she had finished her lesson, she instructed her students to open their textbooks.

"Please find a partner and practice the dialogue from page 160 to 168."

"Hai, Meii-sensei." The class rang.

Miyuki paired quickly with Lianna. Although she was frequently mistaken for being an American because of her unusual hair and eye color, Miyuki was absolutely horrible at languages. Especially English. Lianna was one of the few people who could put up with having a partner who made major errors on every line. She really didn't mind. Miyuki wasn't good at English. Lianna stunk at math. They both helped each other.

"Oh yes- I forgot to mention. No girl-girl or boy-boy pairs. Mix and mingle! Oh, good! Only two groups did that. You four, mix up." The teacher said, pointing at the pairs of Lianna & Miyuki and Fuji & Eiji.

"This is your chance, Miyuki..." Lianna thought, when a sudden blur passed by her.

"Mi-chan!" Eiji yelled as he glomped her. "By my partner, nya?"

Miyuki looked a little shocked – partly because she had Eiji dangling off her neck, and because she also realized that she could have been paired with her crush.

"Sure, Kikumaru-kun." Miyuki said, smiling.

"And we meet again. That leaves you and me, Amane-san."

Lianna was dumbfounded.

"You wanted to be partners with Fuji, but you didn't even ask him, and accepted Kikumaru's offer instead... Oh Kami-sama..."

"Amane-san?" Fuji said, trying to snap her out of it.

"Oh- right. Sorry about that, Fuji-san."

"Just _Fuji_ is alright, Amane-san." He said smiling.

"Then I suggest you drop the honorifics off my name first if you expect me to do the same." Lianna snapped, sitting down on a chair she had pulled to Fuji's desk.

Fuji blinked in surprise before sitting down as well and opening his text to the assigned page.

"160?" He asked, looking up at the dark haired girl seated across from him.

"Yeah-" Lianna said, trying to find the same page.

"Would you like me to start?" The tensai asked, already there.

"Sure, go crazy."

As Fuji read, Lianna couldn't help but feel some eyes linger on her back. Fuji's smooth voice faded out as she tried to hear the almost inaudible whispers from behind her.

"That girl, Amane-"

"With Fuji-sama? No, he's clearly not enjoying her company."

"How can _she_ be paired with Fuji-sama? She's a glasses wearing dork- and he's one of the hottest guys in school-"

Lianna narrowed her eyes at the comment.

"Glasses-wearing dork? Gee, could they be talking about me by any chance?" She asked herself, feeling the sarcasm starting to build up inside of her.

It didn't help that she was already thoroughly ticked off from lunch. She was finally knocked back to reality when she felt a cool hand on her shoulder.

"Ehhh-" Lianna yelled and looked up, trying to find out what had happened.

"I was calling your name, Amane-san. It's your turn to read."

"Oh- I see." Lianna said, looking down at the book on her lap.

"You were spacing out. I guess I'm really _that_ boring to listen to, huh?" He said.

Lianna chuckled. "You can't be any worse than my nii-san. I was only wondering if I'd live to see him again after your fangirls are done with me, _Fuji-san_."

She hadn't forgotten the fact that he had added the honorifics to her name.

He chucked as well, still smiling. "You have good hearing... And I guess I forgot. Gomen."

"You forgot something else, Fuji." Lianna added.

Fuji appeared to be puzzled, and then after apologizing profusely, he removed his hand from Lianna shoulder.

"What do you do? Soak your fingers into a jar of ice cubes everyday? Your hand was freezing!"

"You never know..." He said, making Lianna shiver at his tone.

"So I know two things about you already." Fuji added suddenly.

"Oh really?"

"You want to play the violin- and you have a brother." He said with a smile still glued to his face.

"Well, he's not really my brother." Lianna said, after reading the next page aloud. "But he's like a brother to me, so I just call him that."

Fuji read the next paragraph quickly and looked up from the book to ask another question.

"What about your parents?" He asked. "Do they know about your 'brother'?"

Lianna finished off the rest of the page for him.

"Nope. They don't know about my brother at all." She replied.

"I see." Fuji said. "You can speak English quite well."

Although she was shocked, Lianna stayed calm. "Really? I don't know what half the words on the page mean. I just sound them out."

"I see." Something in Fuji's voice sounded like he hadn't believed her.

Lianna ignored it. "Alright Fuji. You've asked me enough personal questions. _My_ turn."

He grinned. "Fair enough."

"I don't suppose you want to play the violin." Lianna said.

"No, but I can play the piano."

She blinked. "I didn't expect that. But see- I've learned one new thing about you already."

"You've got three questions left."

"Alright. Does that hurt?" Lianna poked his left cheek – hard. "Smiling like that all the time?"

Fuji appeared to be taken back.

"I can't believe you just did that." He paused and then rubbed his cheek. "That hurt..."

"Answer the question, _Fuji._"

"Smiling comes naturally to me. Two questions, _Amane_."

Lianna sat in her chair, wondering that to ask next.

"Oh- this would be a good question to ask for Miyuki." Lianna thought as a question popped into her head.

"Alright, do you have any other hobbies other than tennis?"

"I feel like I'm getting interviewed by a matchmaker."

"You might as well be..." Lianna said under her breath.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

"Oh- nothing. You still haven't answered my question, Fuji."

"Why do you want to know about my hobbies?" He asked, giving her a suspicious look.

Lianna gave him an overly sweet and innocent smile. "It's my turn to ask the questions, Fuji. Why don't you want to tell me?"

He just looked at her for a few minutes in silence.

"Besides, you don't need to know. And why are you looking at me that way?" Lianna snapped.

"I'll find out why if I really want to."

"How?" She questioned.

"You don't have Inui on your tennis team."

"Oh god- no – Don't send him after me! I happened to be his lab partner once, and Inui juice isn't pretty – I can never look at a beaker in the lab the same way ever again! He told me to drink some as I looked _thirsty_. I was worse than thirsty when I wound up in the nurses' office for food poisoning." Lianna said bitterly, remembering the time.

Fuji was amused.

"Amane Lianna, huh? I haven't had this much fun just talking in awhile..." He thought.

"And you _still_ haven't answered my question!" She said, raising her voice.

"My hobbies? Photography, billiards, and cactuses."

"What?" Lianna exclaimed without thinking.

"Fuji... and cactuses..." She repeated aloud, tilting her head to the side. "Fuji... and cactuses..."

"What's so bad about cactuses?" Fuji asked, giving an overly fake pout.

"..." Lianna was speechless.

"What?"

"Never... do that again." She said, her left eye twitching.

"Why not?" He asked.

"It's not like you. So stop."

"... Sure."

"Good." She said.

"You have one question left, Amane."

"Why-"

The bell rang. That signaled the end of the school day. Lianna got up quickly.

"I'll have to interrogate you some other time. I really have to go." She said, closing her textbook and moving the chair back to its original desk.

"I'll be looking forward to it." Fuji said.

Looking at his smile almost bitterly, she said quietly, "You know – one day, you'll find that a fake smile won't let you slide by everything."

She walked towards the door and before leaving, turned back around.

"Oh- and here's a tip. Try not to speak English often. Your accent is blackmail worthy." She yelled to him as she ran out the door with her bag.

"Fake smile...?" Fuji thought, his smile still glued to his face. "You're not the only one with good hearing. Just what do you mean by that, Amane?"

"Fujiko!" Eiji yelled as he bounced over to Fuji.

"How was English, Eiji?" Fuji asked.

"English-nya? I was partnered up with Mi-chan, remember? She was lots of fun and laughed at all my jokes." He said proudly. "But she's just as bad as I am at English."

"I see."

"What about your partner, Fujiko? I don't think I've met her before-nya!"

"She's Amane Lianna." Fuji said, getting up from his desk and packing the textbook away into his schoolbag.

"What's she like?" Eiji asked, cocking his head to the side. "She looked pretty normal."

"Anything but normal." Fuji said before taking his schoolbag and walking out the door, leaving behind a puzzled Eiji.

...

Lianna had just finished climbing up a staircase. She had been successful in slipping away to the storage wing once again. She opened the classroom door and rummaged through the closet. Even though she had been playing it for almost a full year now, Lianna still felt happy each time she saw the dark violin case. She decided to spend a bit more time there today since she'd be quite busy with Miyuki and her cookies tomorrow. She was in a surprisingly good mood, that is, before Fuji happened.

Lianna opened the metal clasps and took the violin out from inside. It was aged. That was evident, but there was something about that violin that Lianna liked. It felt like it had a life of it's own. It was like it had listened to life stories in its past and it would listen carefully as she shared her own past, not judging her in any way. It was an odd way to describe a violin, but that was how Lianna saw it.

"If I remember, this was how that song went..." Lianna thought, moving the bow back and forth.

Memories came back in flashes.

_A young girl on a stage with a large violin. A stand of sheet music in front of her. The crowd, silent in anticipation. Another girl identical to her among the people, smiling brightly. Her favorite song sounding through the stillness of the large auditorium._

Lianna played, feeling the music flow through her fingertips. But something ruined it. A small part of her being was irritated.

"That fake smile..." Lianna gritted her teeth and thought back to English class. "They both have that same fake smile."

She stilled her left hand and the music stopped. The bow rested on the strings as Lianna frowned with guilt and she began to question her actions. Had it been worth it? Leaving Tayu behind for a life with friends and choices? How did her twin sister feel when she woke up to find Ria missing?

And just recently – She had said something pretty rude to Fuji before leaving the classroom. But it was the smile that bothered her. That damned smile.

The young girl sighed and put the violin down. She walked over to the cloudy window and slid it open. Glancing down at the school grounds, she noticed that the fields were empty. No club meetings had been held outdoors – and it was about to rain. She wouldn't be able to stay as long as she wanted after all... But by the looks of the clouds, she would have to run to make it home in time without getting rained upon.

"Wonderful..." Lianna thought. "Exercise... " (you can tell she's not exactly athletic, huh ;P)

...

"It's about 4 now... I should be off to see Tou-san." Fuji thought, looking at his watch.

"Tezuka." He called as the tall man turned.

"What is it, Fuji?"

"I have to go somewhere. It's urgent. I'll complete my punishment when I come back."

"Urgent enough to skip practice and do laps?" He asked, his expression unwavering.

"Yes." He said with a smile.

"... Fine, Fuji. Go." He said after what seemed like countless minutes.

Fuji quickly picked up his bags and thought about changing out of his regulars' uniform, but then decided not to, as it would take too much time. He walked through the front doors and into the same music room he had been in earlier that morning.

"Fuji-kun!!" Mitsuki yelled as he closed the door behind him.

"Konnichiwa, Tou-san." He said, smiling.

"You're here! I thought you'd never come!" She said, pouting.

"I'm only late by two minutes..."

"Exactly! Two _whole_ minutes!"

"..."

"But you're here now! That's all the really counts! Come over here! I'll play a song for you!" Mitsuki said, grinning.

"But I've already heard your playing, Tou-san." Fuji said with a friendly smile. "Does anyone else in your club play the violin?"

"Yes, but they-"

"Could I meet with them?"

"Nanou! Koumoi!" She yelled hesitantly, looking at the back of the class. "Come here for a second."

A second year boy walked towards the pair along with a young girl slightly behind him.

"Hai, Tou-sempai?" The boy said, looking up at his grinning senior.

"Fuji-kun, this is Koumoi-kun." She said, pointing at the young boy. "He's a second year although he's this short."

"Nice to meet you, Koumoi-kun." Fuji said, smiling.

The boy stayed quiet and only looked at his sempai.

"Koumoi!" Mitsuki said with a sharp tone. "Fuji-kun just said that it was nice to meet you. Say something. You're being rude!"

"Nice to meet you too, sempai." He said quietly.

"And this is Nanou-chan. She's in her first year here at Seigaku." Mitsuki said. "She just started to learn the violin this year."

The shy girl stepped out from behind Koumoi and looked up at Fuji. She hesitated before saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you..."

"Could I hear you two play for a bit?" He asked, looking at the pair.

"U-us?" Koumoi stuttered, confused.

"Yes. Would you like to play the violin for me?" Fuji asked.

"I don't mind... but what about you, Nanou-chan?" Koumoi asked, looking over his shoulder at the quiet girl. "Do you feel like showing Fuji-sempai how well you can play the violin?"

She shook her head quickly and then whispered something softly into his ear. Koumoi nodded his head in understanding and turned back to look at Fuji and Mitsuki.

"No, Nanou-chan doesn't feel comfortable playing the violin in front of people yet."

"Nanou-chan. You've been practicing for at least half-a-year now. That should be _enough_ practice already. What have you been doing with all that time?" Mitsuki asked, looking at the girl, bored.

Fuji bent down and looked the young first year in her eyes.

"You don't have to play for me if you don't want to, ok?" He said, smiling warmly.

Her nervousness stayed for a bit before the corners of her mouth curved up in a small smile.

"Arigato... Fuji-sempai."

Suddenly, someone opened the classroom door. A boy he'd seen in his classes before stepped in and asked for Mitsuki, saying that she was needed for something.

"I'll be right back, Fuji-kun!" She winked. "Wait for me!"

With that, she walked through the door and left.

"You see, Nanou-chan recently stopped playing the piano and wanted to learn the violin. She just needs to practice more until she's ready for performing. Gomen, Fuji-sempai."

"The piano?" Fuji repeated.

"H-hai..." Nanou said,

"It's good to hear that. I can play the piano a bit too." Fuji said, smiling warmly.

She raised her head a bit and smiled.

"Would you play me a song on the_ piano_?" He asked.

She appeared to look around the class for someone and then nodded, walking over to the large grand piano in the back corner of the class. She bent over the wooden bench and lifted the seat, revealing a hollow compartment meant to store sheet music. She chose five pages lying on the top pile and sat down, placing her long fingers over the keys. Music flowed through the classroom and some club members even stopped what they were doing just to listen. Fuji turned to the others and looked at their smiling faces. They all enjoyed the sound.

"Could this be her? Could this first year be the one playing the violin, just hiding her talent from everyone else?" Fuji wondered. "Her emotions are so clear through this piece that it's making everyone in the room happy. Can she do the same with a violin?"

"She's very good, Koumoi-kun." He said.

"Hai, sempai." He paused for a moment, making it seem like he was trying to decide whether to go on or not. "Nanou-chan... Her parents are famous musicians. She's actually considered a tensai musically... But one day, she suddenly quit playing the piano and tried to play another instrument. After attempting to learn a few, she decided to take lessons from me about how to play the violin. We've been learning together ever since."

"Really?" Fuji said curiously. "And how is she at the violin?"

"To tell you the truth, sempai..." Koumoi lowered his voice and looked over at Nanou to make sure she wasn't listening. "She can't play any other instrument. Nanou-chan can only play the piano. I don't know why she quit. That instrument used to be her life. You can see it even now, can't you sempai? She's always happiest when she's sitting on that bench. It's like... she's forcing herself to forget about that and play another instrument."

Fuji looked from the boy to the young girl. "Odd..." He thought.

"Arigato, sempai."

"Hmm?" Fuji asked, surprised and looking over at Koumoi.

"Arigato... As hard as I've tried to get Nanou-chan to play the piano again, she keeps refusing, saying that she didn't like it anymore and that she thought it was boring." He said, his voice tinged with sadness. "But when you asked her, she... finally said yes."

As the last key was depressed, the first year girl gathered up her sheets and turned. Fuji and Koumoi clapped happily, but her eyes widened and the pages tumbled onto the floor into a messy heap.

"Tou-sempai..." Koumoi whispered.

Fuji turned to look at the person standing in the doorway. Mitsuki was still beaming as usual, but her smile looked as if it was dripping with sweetness.

"Nanou-chan," She said, looking at the first year girl who was solid as a rock. "That was a beautiful song."

* * *

This was an extra-long chappie O.O I was trying to decide whether I could divide this up into two chapters or just keep it as one- So I decided on doing this :D

Thanx for reading and please review or message :) -air hugs for all- :D


	7. Chapter 6

_To the Reviewers_

**invisible-gurl** - It's sad- but it's true :( Mitsuki has a bit of a problem with having a first year show her up :P Thank you for the review :)

**rebeccasanfujieijilvr** - 'Tis hard to write O.o I'm stuck in a part that I really am bored of writing (I just want to get past this part :P) And I've already written the chapters that deal with Miyuki and Lianna baking... and Fuji's birthday on Saturday :P Thanx for the review :D

**singer in the wind** - That's not good... This chapter is abnormally short -.-' Sorry about that... I'll try to write longer chapters :D Don't worry about rambling - I do that ALOT :P My friends usually have to interrupt me half-way through my small speech so I'll shut up :P

**Moonlitelover** - omg I know :P I'm like that too :P Yet I usually make it into our school's track team... But I absolutely _hate_ running -.-'

**red-jello04** - Maybeeee... :P My lips are sealed :D Thanks for the review :D

**Lee0616** - Awwww :D That's so kind :) Thanks for the review and I'm sorry for the short chappie :(

* * *

_Chapter 6 – Unexpected  
_

Lianna never did like sports – well, it was more like the sports didn't like her. Lianna was more likely to be found sitting around and being lazy than doing something as tiring as _jogging_.

The school grounds were unusually quiet and Lianna could hear the sound of her feet against the hard cement path. From the looks of the darkening sky, she would have to take the shortcut. How she _hated_ the shortcut. On the other side of the field behind the boys' tennis courts was a side road, leading to Lianna's house. Her usual path home made her circle around the school before finally reaching the house. When Lianna saw the outline of the tall fences of the tennis courts against the dark greenery of the surrounding fields, she expected to find the regulars inside, practicing. To her surprise, it was empty. The nets were rolled up and tennis balls were placed back neatly in bins.

"Good. Less noise – and I don't have to hide from anyone. Wait... what am I thinking? Hide? Who on earth would I, Shiraiki Ria... or more commonly known as Amane Lianna, be hiding from in the tennis club?!" She thought, mentally slapping herself.

By now, the tennis courts were behind her. She was jogging down a narrow path leading to the road. Not many people knew about this passage. Lianna had stumbled upon it as she was running away from someone last year on White Day. Thinking on it, Lianna probably could have made the track team if she was motivated. But that was the problem – she wasn't. Being motivated took too much energy out of her. Although she wasn't paying much attention to what she was doing, Lianna jumped when a nearby bush moved. There was no wind blowing.

"Who's there?" Lianna asked, expecting to find a small animal run out, or even Miyuki, trying to scare her again.

Instead, a middle-aged man with dark hair and dark eyes walked into her path. His black hair was greasy and untamed and he reeked of dirt and sweat – like he hadn't taken a shower for weeks. Dark circles outlined his eyes, showing the man's lack of sleep.

"Who are you?" Lianna asked, trying to sound unafraid.

"Don't move." The man hissed.

And it started to rain.

Lianna froze. "What do you want?"

"Your backpack. Money. Any jewelry- like that necklace." He said, eyeing a thin thread of silver that had come loose with all the running Lianna had done.

She decided to play the part of the helpless female. "Money? I don't have any. And please, you can't take my necklace! It's all I have!" Her voice cracked.

"Unfasten the thing and hand it over. From here, it seems like pure gold... white gold..." He smiled, showing yelled teeth.

Lianna gulped. He had an eye for jewelry.

"Just... Please don't hurt me!" Lianna put her hands behind her neck and unfastened the chain, with a mixture of shock and fright on her face.

Even in the dim light, the necklace sparkled as if it were brand new. Hanging from the thin chain was a name. Solid lettering spelled out - Ria. It was the only possession she hadn't meant to bring with her that day. By the time she realized it was hanging off her neck, she couldn't throw it away. It was much too precious to her. It was from her mother.

"Catch." She said, tossing it to the man, who automatically moved forward to get the shiny bauble.

Lianna took this as her chance. In one move, she was beside him. Her left hand chopped down on the back of his neck.

"That should do it!" Lianna thought. "I'll knock him out now and run..."

The man howled in pain – but wasn't knocked unconscious. She tried to make up for the error and tried again, but he was too fast – or she was too slow. Lianna soon found herself with a sharp knife at her throat.

"I had hoped I wouldn't need to use this..." The man said, pressing the cold blade into Lianna's skin. She felt a small amount of warm blood trickle down her neck, mixing with the rain. "But one more wouldn't make a difference..."

She shivered. He bent down to pick the necklace back up and brought Lianna down with him, still holding her captive. He fingered the gold lovingly with his hands and spoke.

"Ria. Is that your name, girl?" He asked, sounding so much like her father. "You see, I like to know the names of the people-"

Lianna said nothing when he suddenly stopped mid-sentence and widened his eyes.

"Ria... Ria... I've heard that name somewhere before."

Lianna froze.

"Please don't make the connection, please!" She thought desperately.

He grabbed Lianna's glasses from her face and threw them on the ground. She heard the glass shatter on the rocky path. He placed his rough hands on her shoulders and turned her around to face him. She glared at him.

"That hair color... And those eyes... I'm surprised I didn't realize sooner! So it wasn't the youngest that ran away... it was the older brat!" He said, howling in delight. "Oh- what your father would pay to get you back..."

"Hair...? No- the rain! Oh Kami-sama... Even my own appearance had betrayed me now!" Lianna thought furiously.

Yes, her hair set her apart from the others. Normally, Lianna's hair would appear a dark brown that looked almost black, but when it came into contact with water, it darkened, revealing a dark blue shine. Lianna's father had blue hair. It was an unusual color, that dark blue hue, but it carried on to Lianna. Her mother's hair was chestnut. That showed in her daughter as well.

Even though it was dark and pouring, Lianna could feel him smile and then hear him cackle madly.

"How lucky am I! The heir to the Shiraiki clan in my possession!"

Lianna grimaced as he spoke.

"Possession? I'm not an object- I'm not a tool! And 'clan'?" She thought bitterly. "Such a weak family that can die out so quickly is no clan. We're... the only Shiraiki's left..." Lianna struggled against his hands but couldn't break free.

"Then again, _Hime-sama_..." He said, stroking Lianna's drenched hair. "I _do_ have a personal vendetta against that father of yours. That heartless bastard! This will be a tough decision. To kill or not to kill!" He cackled madly and pressed the knife back against Lianna's neck. It cut deeper. "I think I'll-"

He suddenly stopped mid-sentence. His grip relaxed and the blade fell from his hands as his body dropped along with it. Stunned, Lianna turned to find the shadow of a person behind the man's body. She squinted, trying to make out who it was, but it was too dark and stormy to tell. Outlined in his hand was what looked like a tennis racket – it was probably what he had used to knock the guy out.

"Are you alright?" His voice was clear, calm, and comforting.

Even though Lianna tried not to, she stuttered when she tried to talk. Her neck was already numb – she preferred that intense pain that she felt before to this... nothing-ness that she felt now. She couldn't match the voice to anyone she knew, but he didn't look that much taller than herself, and he seemed to be genuinely worried.

"Are you alright?" He asked again, not hearing her quiet whispers.

"Y-yeah..." Lianna sneezed.

"Come on, we have to get out of this rain. You'll catch a cold." He slid a thin looking jacket off his back and draped it over Lianna's shoulders. She stopped trembling a bit when the warm fabric touched her cold skin.

"Yeah... thanks... My house is nearby- you should come and dry up. It's the least I could do." She said, taking his hand and leading him up the path.

"His hand's so cold..." She thought. "But this jacket's so... warm..."

The boy didn't say a word. Eventually, they arrived on the doorstep of Lianna's house. She was still recovering from what had happened and her hands shook as she fumbled around in her pockets for the key. Her hand was still shaking when she tried to put the key in the lock. After missing a few times, the mysterious boy guided her hand until the key slid into the hole. It was still too dim to see his face. She turned it and the door opened with a click. Light flooded onto the front steps as Kojiro ran down the stairs and jumped at her.

"Welcome home Lia-chan!" He yelled happily.

Lianna quickly slid aside as the boy fell to the ground with a thud. Still holding onto the young man's hand, she ran up the stairs, bringing him with her. Running into the bathroom at the top of the staircase, she let go of his hand and bent over to open the cupboard under the sink. Lianna pulled out two fluffy blue towels and stood up, turning to face him. When she set her eyes on his face, the towels fell from her arms.

"Fuji?!" She exclaimed. (now how many of yous guessed that :P)

He stood in the doorway of the bathroom, completely soaked and smiling.

"Did that come as a surprise?" He asked.

"Of all people – it _had_ to be Fuji." Lianna grumbled.

"Is that any way to talk to your rescuer?" He asked, smiling that fake grin once again.

Lianna smirked. "I didn't think it would be _you_."

She picked up the towels and threw one at Fuji.

"Dry off, you'll be the one to catch a cold." She said simply.

"Well, you seem to know me. I don't think I've met you. What's your name?"

Lianna blinked. "What? Are you expecting me to introduce myself for the second time, just because you happen to have a faulty memory?"

Fuji was confused. "I'm sorry. I don't remember meeting you."

Lianna sighed and continued to dry her rain-soaked locks. She stopped and remembered. Her glasses were gone. Her hair was a dark navy – that is, until it dried off. He didn't recognize her.

"I'm not surprised you don't remember me. I'm Koharu... Lia. We're in the same history class." She said, walking through the door and towards her room. She had resisted the urge to bow. Lianna had a reason to dislike Fuji - and all of the Seigaku Boys' Regulars. But Lia didn't.

"Oh- in my history class? I'm sorry." He trailed after her, using the towel to absorb all the water in his hair. "I'm Fuji Syuusuke. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Lianna opened the heavy oak door and entered her room, sitting on the end of her bed. The dark green sheets were quickly soaking up water. Fuji appeared in the doorway.

"Nii-san..." Lianna said when she saw her brother pop up from behind him.

"Welcome home, Lia-chan!" He shouted and darted across the room, knocking Lianna over. "Ahhh... Lia-chan's all wet! Are you ok? Did you get caught in the rain? You'll catch a cold! I'll get you a towel!"

He ran out of the room and down the hall. Lianna sighed and sat back up. Fuji looked like he was trying to contain laughter.

"Laugh and I'll kill you." She said, glaring.

"Why would I be laughing?" He asked with a smile. "Your brother seems to care for you a lot."

"Yeah, well-"

"Lia-channnnnnn!" They both heard from the hallway. Kojiro ran through the door and stumbled over Fuji's foot, falling to the ground. The towels in his arms were thrown all over Lianna's room, turning the dark brown hardwood floor into a sea of fluffy cotton.

"Aie... That hurts..." Kojiro said, rubbing his back in pain. He looked up. "Ahhh! I'm sorry Lia-chan! I didn't mean to-"

He automatically quieted down. Fuji turned to look at Lianna, who was sitting still on the edge of her bed, now completely covered in towels. She slowly picked them off her body and dropped them onto the floor. The girl got up slowly and calmly. She smiled at her 'brother' sweetly.

"Kojiro-nii-san," She said with a singsong voice. "Could you lend Fuji-san some spare clothing? It wouldn't be good if he caught a cold now, would it?"

"N-no... Lia-chan..." She stuttered back, looking at her hard brown eyes. "Come on Fuji. Out of Lia-chan's room... I'll get you some things..."

"Thank you, Nii-san... I really owe you." Lianna said, still smiling.

"Y-yeah... No problem..." He shuddered at her icy tone.

"Fuji," She said, turning her attention to the boy who was dripping onto her floor. "You know where the bathroom is. Towels are under the sink. Dry up and Nii-san will bring you a spare change of clothes."

Fuji smiled back, almost challenging her. "Sure, Koharu-san."

The two boys stepped out of Lianna's room, and she shut the door slowly with a smile still upon her face. When the door clicked closed, Kojiro sighed with relief and walked to the bathroom quickly, motioning silently for Fuji to follow him- and fast.

"Here's the bathroom. I'll get some clothing." He said, pointing to the small room near the stairs. "Don't be too loud either. Lia-chan'll kill us both!"

"Thanks." Fuji replied, shutting the door behind him and reaching under the sink for the towels. "I'll be quiet, promise."

* * *

**Note**: This was a short chapter - I've gotten bored with this part :P Just trying to get through it quickly so I can post the parts with Lianna and Miyuki baking... and eventually Fuji's birthday ;P

Anyways- Sorry about the major shortness (I think I've apologized at least twice -.-' I tend to repeat myself alot...). I apologize for the long wait as well O.o I was on a short vacation :D

Please review or send me a message :D Thanks for reading :)


	8. Chapter 7

_To The Reviewers (with much love):_

**FallenAngel Sayu** - Kojiro is Lianna's 'brother'. At the moment, Lianna is living with Kojiro and his grandmother :D How this came to be will be answered later on (sorry if it's too confusing without the explanation)

**i****nvisible-gurl **- Yupyup - That's right :D Her hair changes color :D And thanks :) If people end up liking a character or hating a character, then I got their personality through alright :) Thanks for the review as always :D

**Moonlitelover **- Nope :D She didn't tend to her wound in chapter 6 - because it had stopped bleeding, so she thought it would be alright until Fuji left. She wasn't expecting that he would stay for dinner :P And after awhile, she forgot about it since she couldn't feel her neck and all :P

**red-jello04** - Cliffies are my friends :D I do end off my stories with_ alot_ of them :P Ack! Don't hurt me! :P -hides behind a pebble- You can't see me. O.o

**usedupsoul** - Thanks for the review :D I appreciate it :)

**Angelgirl227** - Oh yes. Kojiro was afraid of Lianna at the end of the 6th chapter. Why? Because she wasn't in a good mood. When she's mad, she becomes sickeningly sweet. Kojiro has experienced this before :P That's why he's scared :P And Thanks :D You're too kind :)

* * *

_Chapter 7 - A Beginning to the Evening  
_

Lianna stood closely behind the door and took a deep breath.

"Finally, the smiling girly-boy leaves..." She said, turning the shiny silver doorknob to lock it. "I wouldn't want him to randomly walk in as I change - same with Kojiro-nii."

She walked over to her closet and took out a pair of black shorts, a black tank top, and a dark purple turtleneck sweater.

She peeled off the drenched uniform and put the other clothes on. Using the towel, she dried her hair a bit more, but still leaving it slightly wet so it still appeared blue – and not her normal shade of dark chestnut. Lianna put a hand to her neck and noticed that the cut had stopped bleeding already. She poked at it a bit with her finger and noticed that she couldn't feel a thing. It was still numb. It didn't seem that bad, but she couldn't clean it now. The first aid kit was in the bathroom- where Fuji was.

Kojiro and his grandmother couldn't know about what had happened. Kojiro was busy with tennis. He couldn't lose his concentration worrying about her, especially if he wanted to become a regular. Lianna couldn't bear worrying Koharu-san either. She had enough to worry about. She'd have to keep it to herself. And after the evening was over, Fuji wouldn't have another chance to accidentally let it slip that someone had almost killed her.

Lianna fingered one of her long locks of hair gingerly. She walked over to the mirror by the door and looked at the girl staring back at her. She stood there for a few seconds before suddenly feeling heavy. For a moment, her whole body became weights and she faltered, falling towards the wall. Everything went blurry, but cleared up when her left arm came between her body and the wall. With a deep breath, Lianna steadied herself and looked back in the mirror.

"Weird... I guess the shock's finally weighing in..." She thought, shaking her head. The girl brushed a strand of dark blue out of her face and tilted her head to the side.

"I really do look different..."

Her dark hair was naturally curly. Everyday, Lianna straightened it, making it seem naturally straight. In a messy ponytail, no one could tell if it was straight or curly. Now, her hair was soaked. The effects of the flat iron had worn off and it was left to curl as it pleased. As her hair dried up, the curls relaxed and became simple waves that extended to her waist. She looked at her reflection and saw what a difference the glasses made to her appearance. Without the pieces of glass in front of her face, you could clearly see the striking brown eyes standing out from her light skin. Without her glasses, she looked like her true self.

...

"Does she get angry often?" Fuji asked from the other side of the door.

"No, Lia-chan doesn't get _angry_." Kojiro said slowly. "It's worse than that..." He muttered.

Fuji was still drying off with another fluffy towel. He ran a hand through his light hair before realizing that he hadn't introduced himself.

"Oh- forgive my rudeness – I'm Fuji Syuusuke."

"I know. It's nice to meet you - I'm Koharu Kojiro."

"So you're her brother?"

He laughed. "Is that what she told you? We're not blood relatives. Lia-chan's been living with us for a year. She's gotten used to calling me her older brother, but I'm really only a month and a day older than she is." He said, grinning. "She may be going out with you now – but in the end, she'll choose _me_!"

Fuji blinked. "I'm not her boyfriend."

"Ehhh-" Kojiro said, obviously surprised (and relieved :P). "That explains it."

"What do you mean?" Fuji slipped on the clothes that Kojiro had lent him.

"She's never talked about you before – although I'd probably be the last person she'd talk to about her love life anyways. I'm beginning to think she hates me!" He said pouting.

"It's like another Eiji..." Fuji thought with disbelief. He unlocked the bathroom door and walked out. "How come she's living with you if you're not family?" He was beginning to get suspicious.

"I'd say we were engaged and destined to be married... but Lia-chan would kill me. So I'll let her tell you when she's ready..."

"... I'll just tell her I'm finished and all." Fuji said, avoiding an awkward silence. He walked over to Lianna's door and knocked twice.

"Lia-san, are you finished in there?" He asked.

After a pause, she answered, "Oh yeah- sorry about locking you out there, Fuji." Lianna walked to the door and opened it.

She was wearing a long, baggy, dark purple sweater and black shorts that reached to just above her knee. In her arms were a white towel and Fuji's Seigaku jacket.

"Sorry about all the trouble I've caused." She said, looking up at Fuji with an emotionless expression. "Um... I don't know what you want me to do with the jacket. I mean, it's soaking wet so I guess if you wanted, you could just take it home now or I could wash it and give it back to you later."

"Would you mind washing it? The washer and the dryer at my house doesn't work. Nee-san says it's just being temperamental... but I think it's just broken." Fuji replied.

"So you have siblings, huh?" Lianna walked to her bed and sat on the end. Her eyes appeared dim and she seemed to be looking off in the distance.

Fuji walked over and sat down beside her. As he talked, he looked around the cluttered room. "Yeah- my sister's the oldest, and my brother's a year younger than I am." When he said 'brother', his voice changed... just for a second.

"That's interesting. Do I know him? I do know a lot of the second years." Her voice was flat and expressionless.

"I don't think you'd know Yuuta." He said smiling. "He doesn't go to Seigaku."

"Yuuta...?" Lianna thought. Her eyes unclouded and she turned to look at the boy who was suddenly beside her. "It couldn't be..." She thought.

"That's odd. It's kind of like _my_ family." Lianna said with a smile, hoping he hadn't noticed she had been spacing out.

"Really?"

"Yeah – Kojiro-nii's in his third year like I am, but he goes to St. Rudolph. You know that school?"

Fuji seemed stunned. "Sorry... what?"

Lianna blinked. "Oh- I just asked if you've heard of St. Rudolph before... I guess not though."

"No- actually, Yuuta attends that school as well." Fuji admitted.

"Oh I see..." Lianna said. "Then they can't be brothers... I guess I was wrong. Yuuta said he went to Seigaku..." She thought. "Then again... I never did find him when I got there..."

There was an awkward silence. When Kojiro (who was standing at the door) couldn't take it anymore, he ran down the stairs yelling that he'd call for them when dinner was ready. Another awkward silence. Fuji sneezed.

"Oh-" Lianna walked into the bathroom and returned with a box of tissues, handing it over to him. "Sorry... You had to walk in that rain without your jacket because of me..."

"Don't worry." He chucked. "I'm not sick." He sneezed again.

"...Are you sure? That didn't sound very convincing to me."

He chucked again.

"Kami-sama – you're soaking wet." Lianna said, ruffling his hair. "I thought I told you to dry up... Wait... you don't dry easily, do you?"

Fuji was taken back once again. "Did she just... ruffle my hair...?" He thought in utter disbelief. Not even his mother or older sister had done that before.

Lianna suddenly burst out laughing.

"You're laughing because...?"

She took awhile to stop. When her laughter became a quiet giggle, she coughed and spoke. "Two reasons. Number one: Your clothes." She started laughing again, this time twice as hard.

"Don't laugh. They belong to your brother." He said, somewhat offended. Taking his arms off his lap and opening his eyes, he looked at Lianna, smirking. "Besides, they don't look_ that_ bad on me."

Kojiro's had lent Fuji a pair of pjs – and they were too childish for him. Fuji ended up with a white t-shirt and bright yellow rubber-ducky print pajama pants.

Lianna didn't seem to care about the rare event that had just happened - that the famous tensai had just opened his eyes in front of her. She didn't seem surprised or stunned by the bright blue that often made a girl feel like she was being read like a book. Lianna just yawned, smiled and continued talking.

"Gee, that wasn't full of yourself at all - But they look fine on Kojiro-nii! He has the personality of a 10 year old – but you, Fuji... You can't pull that look off." Her smile grew into a grin as she was obviously trying to hold back more laughter. "Number two: Either you're having an off day... or I'm jinxed."

Fuji was a bit surprised that she hadn't been affected by his eyes and was even more confused once she finished talking. "What do you mean?" He had been asking that _a lot_ lately.

"You are acting _way_ out of character!"

"What?"

She smiled and continued looking into his eyes as she spoke. "Fuji Syuusuke – the tennis_ tensai_. You're not acting much like a tensai, Fuji."

"...She's staring me straight in the eye... Why do I feel like...I'm suffocating?" He thought, automatically closing his eyes and turning his head away. "And how does a tensai act?" He asked.

"..."

"Well?"

"I-I don't know... tensai...ish... I suppose..." She said, not able to come up with anything useful.

Fuji chucked once again. "That describes it perfectly." He said sarcastically before be could stop himself.

"See! That wasn't Fuji-ish at all!"

When he finally thought of something to say back, Kojiro's loud voice rang through the house.

"Lia-chan!! Obaa-chan told me to call you down for dinner!"

"Alright!" Lianna called back, just as loud. "We're coming!"

Fuji was surprised. He hadn't thought there was anyone else in the house other than Kojiro, Lia and himself. But it made sense. Lia probably wouldn't agree to live in a house with just Kojiro. When the three third year students entered the kitchen, a short old lady turned to them.

"Oh- who's this?" She asked, looking at Fuji.

"I'm Fuji Syuusuke." He bowed low like Lianna had the first time she had introduced herself. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Lianna tried to keep her laughter in with no success. "Sorry Fuji- it's just..." She laughed again. "You look all serious with your introduction and everything... yet you're still wearing Nii-san's pjs. That expression on your face and rubber-ducks really don't go well together." Pearls of laughter escaped pass her lips.

Koharu looked at Lianna and then at Fuji. She smiled.

"So is your boyfriend staying for dinner?" She asked, turning back around and stirring her big pot of soup.

"He's not my/Lia-chan's boyfriend!!" Lianna and Kojiro both yelled at the same time.

"And no/yes, he's not/is staying for dinner!" They yelled again. (Lianna said no- Kojiro said yes)

"I'd like to stay, if that's alright with you." Fuji said, smiling.

"Fine!" Lianna said, rubbing her temples. "Stay. Just don't tell _anyone_ you were here for dinner. I don't feel like receiving an early death from your crazy fangirls just yet, Fuji."

Fuji chuckled as Kojiro stared at him in awe. "Fuji... You have fangirls?!" He asked, his eyes as wide as pizzas.

"Help yourselves." The old woman said, putting the food on the table and motioning for everyone to sit down.

Kojiro ran to sit down beside Lianna as usual, but somehow, Fuji had beaten him to it. And he didn't even run.

"Ah... Fuji... Could I sit there?" He asked, looking at the tensai with pleading eyes.

"Just sit across from me, Kojiro-san."

"Ehhhhh?! I _always_ sit there!!" Kojiro whined, looking at his sister with puppy-dog eyes.

"Then isn't it about time for some change?" His grandmother asked.

Kojiro gave Fuji and his grandmother a pleading look. "Could I sit there?" He smiled, hoping someone would say yes.

"I've already started to eat, Kojiro-san." Fuji said plainly.

They were both smiling so hard that Lianna couldn't take it anymore. Picking up her plate and silverware, she sat down beside the old woman on the other side of the table.

"I haven't sat beside you in some time, Koharu-san." Lianna smiled and began to spoon out the soup into her bowl.

Fuji continued eating like nothing happened. Kojiro on the other hand looked like he was about to cry.

"Ah... Liann-" Koharu-san started.

"Wow! This is really good soup!" Lianna said loudly, cutting off the old woman. "Don't blow my cover now!" She thought, trying to slow down her heart rate.

The woman smiled. "Thank you. I've been cooking ever since I got home from the bakery."

"Bakery?" Fuji asked. He was almost finished his bowl.

"Obaa-chan owns the bakery down the street! You should go there sometime. She makes really good stuff!"

"Maybe I will." Fuji replied, smiling.

"Lia-chan..." Kojiro said suddenly.

"Hmm? What is it, Nii-san?" She spooned the rest of the soup into her mouth and picked up the tea, blowing at it to cool down.

"Are you... bleeding?"

Lianna blinked. "Bleeding? No, of course not. Why are you asking?"

"Bleeding? Where?" Fuji asked.

Kojiro pointed to Lianna's throat and said, "There! I can see the blood soaking into your sweater! Lia-chan! Are you okay?! Don't die!" The dark haired boy ran around in circles with a panicked expression on his face. "I'll get the first aid kit! Hold on Lia-chan! If you see a bright light, walk away from it!!"

Kojiro disappeared up the stairs and Lianna put a hand to the neck of her sweater. She could feel it damp with blood. When she took her hand away, smudges of red covered her fingers. She stared at the scarlet marks and put her hand back down at her side, while controlling her breathing.

"How did you get hurt?" The old lady asked, looking at Lianna suspiciously.

She smiled and laughed quietly. "On my way home, I tripped and fell on the path. I landed somewhere in the gravel pit. I must have scratched myself from there."

Kojiro bounced down the stairs and ran to his sister with a small white box in his arms. He immediately turned her chair around to face him and pulled down the neck of her sweater.

He touched her neck and found it extremely hot. "Lia-chan... How did you get this...?" He asked, looking up from the wound to stare her in the eye.

Lianna got up abruptly and took the first aid kit from Kojiro. "I can tend to my own wound, thank you." She stood up and turned to face the table. She bowed deeply before dashing off to the bathroom upstairs. "Excuse me."

Everyone was left in silence. Kojiro sat on the ground, stunned. He was looking at his hands. Traces of Lianna's blood were left on his fingers. "What have you been doing, Lia-chan...?" He thought. "Since when did we start to keep things from each other?"

Fuji sat in his chair, looking towards the stairs. "Bleeding..?" He thought. "It must have been from before. The man did have something in his hand if I remember correctly... Could it have been a blade? And why did she lie? Why is she keeping the truth from her family?" He thought furiously. "Why didn't she tell me she was wounded when I asked her if she was alright? Why didn't I see the cut?"

The elderly woman was slowly drinking her cup of jasmine tea and sighed when she put it down to the table. She broke the silence. "Stop looking so worried, you two. She's old enough to look out for herself. She knows enough on how to take care of herself. Stop worrying. You're just wasting your energy."

Kojiro sprang up from the ground and sat back in his chair. "But Obaa-chan! Lia-chan's not old enough to look out for herself if she could get _that_ injured! How did she get hurt?! Did someone do this to her?"

"Kojiro... I told you. She knows how to disinfect a wound. She knows how to bandage it. She_ can_ take care of herself. She said earlier that she had only tripped and fell into some gravel. There must have been some sharp stones in there. Don't worry so much." Koharu-san said, shaking her head at her panicked grandson. "Besides, she's a strong one. She won't die, you silly child."

Kojiro was now looking down at his lap. He raised his head slightly and said, "But you didn't see it... There was so much blood... I've never seen that much before... I was terrified when I touched her neck. It was so warm... or... feverish... Is she really... okay?"

Fuji ate his last spoonful and got up from his chair. "Thank you for dinner. I'll go see if she's alright." Fuji walked up the stairs and out of sight.

"I'll go too!" Kojiro yelled, swallowing down the rest of dinner. He walked towards the stairs, but was stopped.

"No." His grandmother replied, holding onto his wrist. "Stay down here, Kojiro. Lianna will be fine. That boy will be enough to check if she's alright."

"Obaa-chan! Lia-"

"Kojiro. Stay down here."

"Yeah... Alright."

* * *

Woo :D Sorry for the long wait _again_ -.-' I'll try to update more often :D The next chapter is the rest of the night, mostly about Lianna and Fuji upstairs until when he leaves the house :D

Thanks for reading and please review or send me a message about your opinions :D


	9. Chapter 8

_To the Reviewers (with a cookie :D)_

**hemiyami **- Thank you so much :) I was having a pretty bad day when I read that - but when I checked my inbox and read your review, it cheered me right back up :D Thanks for your kind words :)

**invisible-gurl** - Yupyup :D It's not _that_ obvious that he likes her :P I'll try to update - although I'll probably end up making you wait again -.-' So sorry!

**BlackCat 2468** - Thanks for the review :) I hope you enjoy this chappie :D

**red-jello04** - It was hard enough trying to imagine Fuji in ducky pjs. Each time I thought of it, I burst out laughing. Everyone around me was staring at me like I was crazy or something :P Maybe my imagination is_ too _vivid XD

**EjiFuji** -Thanks for the review :D It was a surprise when I suddenly got the e-mail notifying me about your review :P I hadn't gotten any e-mails from fanfiction for awhile O.o and then you came :D Thanks again :)

* * *

_Chapter 8 - Smiles _

In the second floor bathroom, Lianna leaned against a wall, shivering. Blood. Lianna didn't like blood. She couldn't even remember the last time she had bled that much. Since the Shiraiki clan was a family brought up in martial arts, she had been taught to fight and to be afraid of nothing. Nothing.

"Tayu wasn't afraid of anything. She was like the older sister. I was slower... I was weaker- I was... scared." Lianna thought, looking at the mirror across the room.

The stain on her sweater was worse than she had imagined.

"No wonder Nii-san freaked out..." She thought.

A shaky hand pulled on the purple fabric until a deep cut was revealed. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead as she looked at the sight. Dried blood covered her throat and a fresh supply was slowly flowing out of the incision. Her right hand dropped to her side and her chest rose rapidly with each shaky breath. She stood in a spot, staring at the blood reflected in the mirror for what seemed to be hours before tearing her gaze away from the looking glass. Her left hand met her cheek with a hard blow and she snapped out of it.

"Kami-sama! Just because of a little blood!" She shouted at herself.

She sighed and pulled the sweater off over her head, being careful not to touch her wound. The blood had flowed down to the rest of her sweater once the fabric around her neck could absorb no longer, but it hadn't soaked most of what she was wearing underneath. The black tank top she had been wearing was stained slightly with blood, but not drenched. She made a mental note to wash it out later on. Without a word, Lianna started to clean the wound. Her hands still shook as she wiped the blood away, but she continued.

"How could I not have felt this? When did it start bleeding again? How did it-" Lianna's thoughts were immediately cut off by a knock at the door. Her heart skipped a beat at the sudden sound. The person knocked once more before rapping the door with their knuckles to an annoying tune.

"Q-quit it, Nii-san!" Lianna said, irritated. She set down the wet cloth on the side of the sink and walked closer to the door. "What do you want?" She asked, waiting for a reply from the other side of the wood.

"Lia-san..."

"F-Fuji!" Lianna stuttered, surprised. "W-what is it?"

"Are you okay? Do you need any help?" His voice was calm and gentle.

Lianna hated it. "Yeah – I'm fine." She replied coldly. "Go away. I can take care of myself. I don't _need _your help."

"Are you sure, Lia-san?" He asked, ignoring her tone.

"Since when have we been on a first name basis,_ Fuji_?" She asked, frowning at the door in front of her and then realizing what a stupid thing she was doing.

She could hear him chuckle before talking. "Yes, but if I don't call you Lia, then it would be quite confusing for your brother and Koharu-san downstairs. I can't call all of you, 'Koharu'."

He was right after all. "Yeah... Then it's okay, I guess..." She said, picking the cloth back up and turning the tap for warm water. The small green cloth soaked up quickly and Lianna turned back to her wound. She didn't hear anything from Fuji in the five minutes she took to finish wiping up her blood. After wringing the cloth out in the sink, she searched through the first aid kit for bandages when he finally talked.

"Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?"

Lianna fingers stopped and she sighed as she tilted her head back to look at the ceiling. Calming down, she spoke.

"I didn't feel like it." She answered simply.

"What do you mean you didn't feel like it?!" The door flew open as Fuji stood in the doorway, no longer wearing a smile.

Lianna raised an eyebrow at the tennis regular and her voice was light – as if she was mocking him. "Hey Fuji- Don't you know you should never enter the bathroom when someone else is in it? You could have walked in as I was changing or-"

"You didn't feel like it?" He repeated, cutting her off. He appeared calm, but instead of smiling, he wore a frown. "You idiot."

Lianna, who was kneeling on the floor, stared at the tensai with an amused smile. "Pardon me? Calling someone you just met an-"

"You idiot." He said. She was having fun. She was having fun watching him trying to hide his anger.

She laughed. "Wow. That was a rare moment. Fuji Syuusuke actually knows how to frown. I'm an idiot? How so?"

"Don't think that you have to do everything by yourself." He opened his eyes to stare at her blank expression. "From what Koharu-san's said, you can do things on your own. Sure. That's great. But don't yell at people to go away when they come to help!"

Lianna stayed in her kneeling position in front of the first aid kit. She didn't move for a few seconds. Finally, she slid the first aid kit to Fuji's feet and looked up smiling.

"Then find a bandage. You're here to help, right?" She asked.

"Yeah..." He sat on the bathroom floor, leaning against the wall. "Why...? Why... am I acting this way? I'm not like myself when I'm with her... She's just like..." He thought slowly. "She's just like..."

"Did you find one yet?" Lianna asked, now standing and looking at the side of her neck in the mirror.

"Yeah, here." Fuji replied, handing her a large patch and a tube of ointment.

"Thanks." Lianna smiled and spread the cool feeling ointment, then opened the bandage, sticking it onto her neck. "Finished." She grinned at Fuji proudly.

"... You missed it completely."

"...What?" Lianna looked into the mirror, shocked to find that she had put the bandage at least a centimeter above the cut. "You've got to be kidding me..." She peeled the square off and tilted her neck towards her opposite shoulder to get a better view of where the wound was. She narrowed her eyes as drop of blood fell down her neck.

"Eh- Lia-san. Are you okay?" Fuji asked.

She chuckled and tried to put the bandage on again. "Yeah – I'm fine. Don't worry about it. It's only a little blood." Her hand with the bandage shook as she came closer to her neck. She couldn't show her fear of blood – especially in front of someone like him.

The next thing she knew, Fuji had his hands on her shoulders. They were cold on her bare skin and Lianna shivered.

"What are-?"

"Stay still." He said, sighing.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lianna saw another bandage in his hand. Slowly, he peeled the other bandage off her neck and opened the new one. He bent over and gently put the bandage over her cut.

"There. You should wipe up the blood." He said, pointing to the trail of red that had reached down to her collarbone.

"Yeah..." Lianna agreed, putting a hand to the side of her neck to feel if her cut was properly bandaged. "Thanks."

Fuji seemed to just stare at her. "You're welcome."

"...Hey... Is something wrong?" Lianna asked after a few confusing seconds.

"Oh- nothing. It's just..."

"Hm?"

"No. It's nothing." He said, smiling.

"...Fine. Keep it to yourself then." She reached for the green towel and wiped her neck clean. She rinsed the cloth out quietly in the sink, feeling Fuji's eyes on her back. "Seriously, is there something you need to say to me?"

"No, it's nothing." He said once again.

She turned the tap off and hung it to dry beside the sink. Suddenly, she held her hand up to her face and waited.

"Lia-san... what are you doing...?" Fuji asked.

She sneezed. "Getting ready for that." She turned and took a tissue out of the box sitting on top of the cabinet.

"Lia-san, you should dry your hair fully before you catch a cold." Fuji said, taking a few strands of her hair in his hand.

"...Yeah... You can let go anytime now." Lianna said, tossing the tissue in the garbage bin.

Fuji's hand went down, pulling her hair with it. He smiled.

"Gahhh...! That... hurts..." Lianna said, grabbing the end of her hair from his hand and rubbing her head. "Why the hell did you do that...?"

"To get you back for ruffling my hair earlier." He said.

Lianna's eyebrow raised in surprise. "Ah... I forgot about that too..." Shrugging her shoulders, she picked up her soiled sweater off the ground and left the room.

"Are you going back downstairs, Lia-san?" Fuji asked, following after her.

"Yeah – I have to throw this into the wash. It'll be best to wash this before the blood dries. It was my favorite sweater too..." She trailed off with a sigh. "Besides, I'll throw your jacket into the load as well. I'll get Kojiro-nii-san to give it to your brother for you once it's washed and dried."

"Can't you just hand it to me at school?"

"Err... Um... No- I probably won't see much of you and I'm quite busy, so I don't think giving it to you at school would be a good idea.

"Really?" His smiled had changed – it was like he knew something. Something she didn't.

"Yeah. You'll get your jacket back either way though. I'm sure your brother wouldn't mind holding on to it until he can give it to you."

Fuji continued to smile. "My brother lives in the dorms in St. Rudolph. He doesn't come home often and I don't want to trouble him. You can just give it to me after school at the tennis courts. I'm there for practice everyday."

Lianna decided that making up more excuses would only increase suspicion. "Alright then. I can't guarantee that you'll get it back soon though." Lianna chuckled, thinking of holding on to it for a week or so, just to get on his nerves. She was in a surprisingly good mood.

"That's fine. It's been warm the past few days anyways. It won't get any worse than this."

The two teens walked down the flight of stairs in silence until they reached the kitchen. Kojiro was at the sink, scrubbing away at the plates and cups. His grandmother was in the living room, watching the news. Kojiro looked up when the two entered the room.

"Lia-chan!!" He screamed, dropping the sponge and a glass cup. He ran over to her, giving her a bear hug. "Are you alright?! Does it hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital? Can I help? How did you get hurt? Do you-"

Lianna sighed and shoved him off, holding him at an arms length away. "Nii-san. Calm. Down. I'm fine. You have to st-" She stopped talking when something caught her attention. She walked over to the living room and stood beside Koharu-san who was sitting on the only chair there. The old woman got up as Fuji walked in.

"Sit in the chair, Lianna." She said softly. "I'm going to supervise that grandson of mine. I wonder if he flooded the kitchen yet." She walked out of the room, leaving Lianna behind who was staring intensely at the tv screen.

"_The criminal, Shiba Kokako was found today in Tokyo, in a dirt path just behind Seishun Gakuen's east field. When police arrived on the scene, the man was unconscious and appeared to have suffered a blow to the head. He is now in the custody of the Japanese police and will be tried in court on the second of March._"

Lianna chucked. "Serves him right."

"That reminds me." Fuji said, searching his pockets for something. "This is yours, right?"

He held up a silvery necklace that sparkled when it caught the light, even through the layers of mud caked around it. Lianna was at his side quickly and took it from him.

"Thanks." She replied, slipping it into her pocket.

"It's in English, right?"

Lianna's heart almost stopped beating. Her mind was in chaos.

"Ria- that was the name on the chain. Oh Kami-sama... he's going to blow everything!" Her mind screamed out in panic.

"Sorry, but I can't read English well." Fuji said, chuckling at himself. "Not to mention it was covered with dirt. What did the necklace spell out? Your name?"

"Y-yeah. It spells out my first name, Lia. L-i-a."

"I see." Fuji said.

"He can't read English. I had nothing to be worried about. Silly me..." Lianna thought, turning her attention back to the set.

"_Today's heavy rains have added to the already high waters of the lakes, causing a flood in a fishing village near Tokyo._"

"Wow..." Fuji said, watching the knee-deep muddy water flooding the streets of the small village. He sneezed and looked around for tissues, finding a flowery patterned box on the table.

Lianna dazed off, staring into the television, but not seeing anything. Her elbow rested on the arm of the chair and her sight clouded for a few seconds before returning to normal. She blinked when she saw Fuji in front of her, looking directly at her face.

"Are you alright?" He asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Lianna shrugged it off and smirked. "You think I'm out of it, just because of a little scratch? I'm fine. You have nothing to be worried about."

"Who says I'm worried about you?" He replied, grinning.

She narrowed her eyes at him before turning back to the tv. "You're in my way. I can't see."

Fuji moved aside, smiling.

"_And two young people planned to be joined in wedlock will bring two large companies together. The arranged marriage of 14 year old, Shiraiki Ria and 14 year old, Kishito Matsui has now been officially confirmed. Our news crew even managed to get an interview with the bride-to-be. Live in our studios is Hino Yuchii with our guest, Shiraiki Ria-san._"

Lianna stared at the screen in disbelief. "Interview with the bride-to-be?" She thought, puzzled. "But I'm sitting right here. I don't remember going to any interview. Unless they..."

When her sister appeared on the screen, Lianna's mind blanked. The girl entered the interview room with grace and poise, sitting down gently on the chair they placed out for her. Her dark brown hair was tied and braided into a single ponytail which hung down her back, and she wore a light green dress. The large white hat on her head hid most of her face. From the camera's angle, the most Lianna could see was her nose, mouth, and chin. But even from the way she held herself, the girl was in every way _high class_. Tayu smiled lightly at the interviewer, and answered each question perfectly - as Ria.

"When did you find out you were betrothed, Shiraiki-san?" A slender light-haired woman asked, smiling at the young girl beside her.

She continued smiling and answered, "I found out last year, just before winter."

Lianna clenched her fist. "What kind of a smile is that?" She thought. "That's nothing like how she used to smile before. This smile... is so fake... Just like Fuji's - Just like father's."

The program continued.

"And how did you feel about this? Knowing that at age 14, you were promised to someone that you didn't even know?" The woman asked.

"I never said that I didn't know him. Kishito-san is a childhood friend." Tayu said, a smile still glued to her face.

"I see." The woman nodded. "So you found out about your betrothal just before winter?"

"Yes."

"Isn't that also around the time your younger sister went missing?" She inquired.

Lianna watched in horror as Tayu slowly broke down crying. The interviewer was panicked and attempted to console her.

"Tayu... What happened to you...?" Lianna thought.

The frail girl on the television wiped at her eyes with her long sleeves, smearing dark mascara on the light fabric.

"She's so... different." She concluded, looking at person she had once thought as stronger than herself.

"But I guess this is as good a time as any." She said, half-sobbing. "I've been separated from my younger twin sister, Tayu for a year now. If anyone knows what has happened to her, or has seen her, please, come forward. Anything would help. Anything!" She started crying again as the screen quickly changed back to the news reporter to announce the next events.

Lianna blinked as she realized that everyone was staring at her. A single tear had made it's way down her cheek as she watched the program. Kojiro was in the living room now, along with his grandmother. Fuji was standing beside her with an expression that Lianna couldn't figure out.

"What?" Lianna asked, wiping her cheek quickly with the back of her hand. "I'm done for." She thought. "Wonderful."

"Lia-san... Are you alright?" Fuji asked softly. He was using the same tone as before. The same tone as when he helped her earlier outside.

Kojiro hopped across the room and glomped her, screaming. "Lia-channnnnn!! You were touched by that story, weren't you!! You were thinking about what it'd be like if I went away weren't youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!"

Lianna sneezed.

"AHHHH!! Lia-chan sneezed on me!" Kojiro yelled, letting go of Lianna and running into the kitchen. From the living room, they could hear the tap running on full blast.

Lianna sighed and looked around the room for a tissue. Fuji handed her the floral designed box from which she took a sheet.

Once she blew her nose and threw the tissue into the garbage, she turned to Fuji and Koharu-san's worried looks.

"Listen. I'm fine. I don't even know what happened back there, alright? I just thought it was pretty sad how her sister's gone. Like Nii-san said, it'd be pretty sad if that happened to us."

Koharu-san smiled warmly while Fuji put on his usual smile once again. Lianna's eyes widened as she glanced at the bottom right hand corner of the television.

"It's that late already?" She said, turning to Koharu-san.

"Yes." She replied, smiling.

"And you allowed _him_," Lianna pointed at Fuji. "To stay here until this time?"

"Yes." She replied once again, nodding.

"Oh boy..." Lianna said, shaking her head. "I can already imagine the wonderful day I'm going to have tomorrow..." She thought.

She sighed and poked Fuji in the arm. "Time for you – to go home. You know, your parents are probably flipping out right now. I will show you to the door." She grabbed onto his wrist like she had earlier in the day and dragged him to the front of the house. "Thanks for coming - goodbye." She pushed him out through the opening and closed the door behind him. The rain had stopped, so he wouldn't be soaked – although it didn't matter much. His hair was still damp anyways. It's not like he dried off much.

She turned to walk back up the stairs when the doorbell rang. Lianna opened the door slightly and stuck her head out. "What is it?"

"I need my shoes and uniform, Lia-san." He said with a smile.

Lianna nodded her head, as she looked at his rubber ducky pjs and bare feet. Picking up the pair of running shoes on the floor and grabbing the plastic bag with Fuji's clothes in them that were waiting by the door, she sighed. "Here."

"Thank you." He said, chuckling and taking the articles of clothing off her hands.

She shut the door once again.

...

As Fuji entered his own house, he was greeted by his older sister, Yumiko.

"Syuusuke! What have you been doing all this time? I thought you were at the courts again, so I drove by on my way from work and you weren't there! Even all your teammates didn't know where you were!" She said.

"Ah... Sorry, nee-san. I was at a friend's house for dinner." Fuji replied, smiling.

"You're lying, aren't you? I already said earlier. When I asked your friends if they had seen you, they all said no! Who did you have dinner with?"

"A new friend of mine from school. She said that-"

"She..?" Yumiko blinked when she heard the word. "Syuusuke, did you just say _she_?"

"Ahh... Yes, but she's not-" He sneezed and was interrupted by his sister before he could finish what he was going to say.

"Syuusuke! You've finally given in, haven't you! After years of all those girls asking you on dates, you finally agreed to one! She must be something special! What's her name? Do I know her? Where did you meet? Did-"

"Nee-san..." Fuji said, sweatdropping. "It wasn't a date. It was just dinner. Her family didn't mind. They invited me to eat with them anyways."

"You've already met her family too? Oh Syuusuke! I was beginning to get worried. All that tennis practice and not enough socializing. I was afraid you'd never get a girlfriend!" Yumiko grinned and turned around, heading for the kitchen. "I can't wait to tell your mother. She'll be so happy!"

Fuji stood in the front door, taking off his shoes and shaking his head.

"Lia-san isn't my girlfriend. I'm not her boyfriend. Why is everyone misunderstanding that? First, Kojiro-san did, then his grandmother, and now, even my own sister."

* * *

**Notes:** I might not be updating much, so I tried to make this chappie long :) I hope you all enjoy it :D Let's just say Lianna has alot of mood swings (in case you're wondering about her personality changes :P)

Please review or message :D


	10. Chapter 9

_To the Reviewers (with a marshmallow Yes. That's right. Mallow. Not Mellow.):_

**hemiyami** - Thanx for the review (once again :P) Chocolate cake's always appreciated too Don't worry, it's nothing bad :P Just _really_ busy

**EjiFuji** - Oh yes. Everyone does think that :P Isn't too odd, is it? :P Thanx for the review :D

**invisible-gurl** - Yupyup, Tayu's living as another person now O.o Must be hard, eh? :P

**unknown player** - Thanx for the review :D It's appreciated

**SS-lover06** - Maybeee... Maybe not... You'll just have to wait and find out :P

* * *

_Chapter 9 - Friday_

Walking out of the bakery, Lianna squinted at the sun that was just starting to rise. She didn't have much time in the morning to make herself a lunch – as usual, so she decided to just pick up something from Koharu-san's shop. She put a hand to her head and took a deep breath. It had been pounding earlier when she woke up, but stopped and returned to normal once she walked out of the house. It started up again when she was in the bakery, and had stopped just now. Lianna sighed with confusion.

The girl's dark hair was tied back in a quick bun like normal, and her uniform was just washed last night, meaning it still carried the faint lavender scent of detergent. In her right hand was her schoolbag – carrying the homework she hadn't had enough time to finish the night before. Half-asleep, she walked up the steps to Miyuki's front door and knocked a few times. A tall woman with dark red hair opened it, smiling down at the young girl in front of her.

"Ah! Ann-chan! You're later than usual today!" She said, grinning. "Did you sleep in?"

Lianna smiled and yawned. "Yeah... when the alarm rang to wake me up, I kinda... turned it off and fell asleep... again... Did Miyuki forget anything?"

The woman giggled and opened the door wider to allow Lianna through. "Heh... Yes. She did. I even reminded her to take her lunch with her this morning... and she still forgot." She sighed, but then grinned and clasped her hands in front of herself. "But that's what makes my little daughter so cute! Right, Ann-chan?"

Lianna nodded and walked into the kitchen, leaving her shoes behind at the entrance. The room was bright with large glass windows along one wall. The sun was almost up now, and it's rays shined through freely, making them look like pure crystal. The light temporarily blinded Lianna as she slowly made her way in.

"Did Makoto-kun and Haru-chan leave already?" She asked, noticing that they were the only two in the house.

"Haruki left early for her club as usual. As for Makoto, he left a bit before you rang on the door again. You didn't see him out there?" She asked.

"I never do. Miyuki forgot her lunch then, right?" She asked, pointing to the single bento lying on the kitchen counter.

The woman nodded and smiled. "And something else too."

Lianna looked down towards the floor and found a black tennis bag leaning against the side of the counter. She sighed. "She forgot her racket... again?"

Miyuki's mother laughed and winked at the teenager who was staring at her with disbelief. "And her schoolbag. You should hurry. The bell's going to ring in about twenty minutes. I don't want you showing up late for class just because you stop by here every morning to help Miyu-chan out!"

Lianna rubbed her eyes and yawned once more. "I've got time." she said, smiling and grabbing the things Miyuki had forgotten.

"Ann-chan."

"Hm?"

"Thank you for taking care of Miyu-chan."

"Oh." Lianna said, surprised. "You're welcome."

With that, she left the house, walking in the direction of Seigaku. Her hands were full, and the things were heavy. Even though she had only walked around the block, her narrow wrists were already starting to ache. Lianna's own schoolbag held two textbooks, a few notebooks, and of course, a clean white and blue jacket. Miyuki's bag was about the same weight. She carried them both in the same hand. Around her left shoulder hung Miyuki's tennis bag – and it was as heavy as it looked. Her once free hand now held her best friend's lunch. She sneezed as she thought about the night before.

Fuji had left the house at nine. It was then that Kojiro decided to bombard her with questions. No matter how many times Lianna told him that the only relationship between Fuji and herself was being a classmate, he hadn't believed her. He had been such a pain- sitting in her room and pestering her with questions until midnight. She had fallen asleep during his investigation. All her homework and textbooks had been soaked in the rain. Lianna had no clue what she'd tell the teacher once she got to class.

"It started raining yesterday while I almost got killed by a murderer who put a knife to my throat – but Fuji saved me so I dragged him to my house. He stayed over until I shoved him out the door, telling him to leave. For the rest of the night, my Nii-san kept bothering me about Fuji until I fell asleep at about 12. It's their fault that I didn't finish my work and that my textbook and notebooks are soaking wet because I got rained on earlier in the day." Lianna thought. "Oh great. That'll make a nice explanation."

In the midst of her thoughts, a cat jumped into her path. Lianna stopped and looked down at the furry animal.

"Ah... You're a Himalayan cat, aren't you?" She said, dropping the schoolbags and stroking the feline between the ears. It purred, rubbing itself against Lianna's hand.

"Well, I have to go – or I'll be late for school. Take care." Lianna pet it once more before picking the bags back up and walking away. The cat, not wanting it's new friend to leave, jumped onto her leg and pulled at her to stay. The small, but sudden movements, made Lianna lose her balance and she slipped on the damp soil of the hill, tumbling to the bottom.

Surprised, Lianna got up, looking around her. "Ah... I'm all wet now..." She said, turning her focus towards her damp uniform. Her knee-length, pale green skirt was dotted and stained with drops of dew and during the fall, her hairclip had fallen out. Lianna's long, dark hair spilled over her shoulders, cascading in waves down to her waist. She got up from the ground and turned to look at the cause of the whole problem. The white and brown cat looked up at Lianna, expecting a punishment. She sighed and ruffled the kitty's fur.

"Look what you've gotten me into." She said, chucking. "I'm a mess. Miyuki's bento spilled all over- so that's ruined. And you don't look all that great yourself."

The cat meowed and walked towards something behind her. Lianna turned and found something lying at the bottom of the hill beside her. She widened her eyes when she realized it was a body.

"E-Eh?! What the- Are you alright? Is he... dead?" She stuttered, turning towards the person. His back was turned towards her, so she got up quickly and sat on the other side, looking into his face. Messy light brown hair was scattered over his cheek and forehead, and his eyes were closed. Lianna realized quickly that he was only sleeping.

Placing his hand on his shoulder and shaking him, she spoke. "Uh... Wake up... You might want to get up just about now..."

He didn't move an inch. Lianna sighed and poked him in the cheek.

"Wake up already... You can't sleep here all day..."

He stirred slightly before opening his eyes and looking up at the girl in front of him. Rubbing his eyes, he propped himself up with his elbow and eventually sat before her, yawning.

"You shouldn't be sleeping here. Look- you're all wet... you're going to catch a cold if you keep doing this." Lianna said, brushing a few pieces of grass from the boy's head.

"Yeah... Sure..." His eyes were half-closed and Lianna was sure he was half-asleep. "Why are you here then?"

Lianna smiled and pointed to the top of the hill. "I fell."

The boy smiled and pointed at her uniform. "I see that. Are you hurt?"

"Eh? Oh... Oh-No... Not at all. I've fine." She looked down at his jacket. "Hey... do you happen to be in the Hyotei tennis club?"

He widened his eyes in surprise. "Yeah- how'd you know?"

"Silly." Lianna got up, gathering up her things. "Your uniform. The white, blue-grey jacket. Hyotei's a long way from here. You'd better get going! You'll be late."

He nodded and got up too, suddenly noticing all the stuff around him. "Is this... all yours?" He asked, eyeing the spilled lunch.

Lianna held in a laugh before answering. "Yeah- I kinda dropped them on my way down..."

Getting up himself, he picked up the tennis bag, turning towards her. "You play tennis?"

"No." She replied, picking up Miyuki's schoolbag. "The racket's not mine. It belongs to a friend. She forgot it- I'm just taking it to her."

"I see." He picked up his schoolbag in his left hand and Lianna's in his right, slinging it over his back. "It's heavy- I'll help you carry this until we get to Seigaku."

"I never told you I went to Seigaku." She said, picking up the bento box on the ground.

The boy grinned, showing a set of white teeth. "Silly. Your uniform. The green skirt and pink ribbon- although you haven't tied it correctly. Seigaku's not too far from here. We'd better get going. You'll be late."

Lianna raised an eyebrow, amused. "The pink ribbon scares me enough already. Tying it into a bow would only make it worse. And very well. You can leave the bag with me once we get to the front gates. A Hyotei student might look out of place in our school."

"Don't worry." He said, already half-way up the hill. "I don't feel like being attacked by mobs of people today."

"Today? Meaning you're always surrounded with mobs of-" She started.

"I'm Akutagawa Jirou. And you are?"

"Oh- I'm Amane. Amane Lianna."

"Amane... Odd. I'm sure I've heard that name before." He said, trying to remember. "Hmm... hm?" He stopped walking and looked down at his foot. A cat was clinging to the bottom of his pants.

"Ah- that's right. The cat..." Lianna said, picking the tabby off Jirou's leg. "Come on, buddy... Where do you live?" She mumbled, trying to find the tag attached to the collar. "Alright – I guess we have some time before school starts. About..." She took Jirou's left hand and looked at his wristwatch. "Ten minutes."

She turned to him and took her schoolbag from his hand before dropping in a bow. "I'll be returning the cat too, Akutagawa-san so you should just try to make it back to Hyotei on time. Thank you for suggesting to help me earlier."

He took the bag back and took the cat out of Lianna's arms. "I have a free period this morning anyways." He looked at the small brass tag attached to the cat's black collar. "I'll come with you to bring Karupin home."

After returning the cat to some man who made Lianna feel quite awkward with his gaze, the two teens headed to Seigaku which wasn't that far away from the owner's house. Jirou yawned loudly, on the way back, making Lianna sigh.

"Really- anyone would think you've stayed up the whole night." She said.

"No... I'm just sleepy all the time." He said, yawning again. "Isn't it bothersome to carry that bento box around on it's own?"

"Kinda, not really."

"Hand it over. I'll put it away."

Lianna gave the box to the boy and he opened Lianna's schoolbag. To his surprise, he found a Seigaku regular's jacket folded neatly beside what looked like a book of sheet music.

"You don't play tennis, huh?" He asked, pointing at the jacket before stowing away the box. "What's that then?"

She laughed before answering. "You really don't make good guesses. First, the racket – and now, the uniform? Neither of them are mine."

"What are you doing with one of those then?" He asked.

"Someone forgot it- I'm returning it. Just like the racket. And no. This isn't some regular's." Lianna said, pointing to the tennis bag. "It belongs to a friend of mine."

"Then which Regular does the jacket belong to?" Jirou asked, curious. "Your boyfriend's? Oh wait, no. You're not one of those crazy fangirls, are you?" He asked, backing away and looking horrified.

Lianna hit him over the head with Miyuki's bag. "Do I look like a fangirl to you?!" She asked, angrily. "The uniform belongs to a classmate- and we're here."

The tall gate that marked Seigaku's entrance towered only a few steps away from the two.

Jirou stopped and gave Lianna the bags. "Those really are heavy... Are you sure you don't need my help carrying them in? Because, you know, you're not exactly- Well..."

Lianna narrowed her eyes at him. "Go on..."

"Eh- no. I'm just saying that if you need help-"

"No. I'm good. I really appreciate your help up to now though."

He smiled. "No problem. I gotta get out of here before I get mobbed." He turned and ran off, noticing the large amount of people whispering and staring at him. "Hope we meet again, Amane."

Lianna waved bye before turning around and carrying the bags in with her.

...

From a distance, Fuji had watched the two walk to the front gates and then part.

"Akutagawa Jirou of Hyotei Gakuen." He thought. "What are you doing here?"

Quietly, he followed the strange girl in.

...

Lianna wanted to find somewhere secluded, quickly. It was bad enough that her glasses had broken yesterday, but now, even her hair was let out. She probably didn't even look like herself anymore. Walking towards the girls' tennis courts, she sat behind a large oak tree, putting all her bags down. She rifled through all the things in her schoolbag before finally finding a black clip underneath her math notebook. She brushed slowly, picking out pieces of grass still left inbetween strands of her hair.

Suddenly, she heard a noise from behind her. Turning quickly, she saw Miyuki walk towards her, grinning. Her smile quickly turned into surprise when she noticed that Lianna's uniform was spotted with water.

"Ann-chan! Is that you? You're all wet! What happened?"

"Nothing really-"

"Are you sure...?"

"Miyuki. I'm fine."

"Ahh! And what happened to your neck?! Why is it bandaged?!"

"I was attacked by a vampire." Lianna said monotonously.

"EH?! REALLY?!" Miyuki exclaimed, turning pale. "Where did this happen to you, Ann-chan?! He could still be around! I don't want-"

"...Miyuki... I was kidding."

She calmed down enough to pout. "That's so mean, Ann-chan!"

Lianna sighed and continued. "Did you forget something this morning?"

"...You have it, don't you?" Miyuki asked, sitting down beside Lianna.

"If by 'it', you mean the tennis racket? Yeah. You forgot it- Again." She said, poking her friend's arm.

Miyuki buried her face in her arms, embarrassed. "I know, Ann-chan! Okasan even reminded me today- and I forgot..."

"What did you do in practice today, then?" Lianna asked.

"I borrowed a spare from another girl in our club. She always brings two in case her's break or if someone forgets one."

"I see." Lianna said, still brushing her hair out.

Miyuki grinned at the sight.

"What?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I haven't seen you without your glasses for the longest time."

"So what?"

"Same with your hair. It's always up. I think this is the first time I've seen it down."

Lianna shrugged her shoulders. "It's no big deal- really."

"No... You just look... different." Miyuki said, giggling.

"Should I take that as a compliment...or as an insult?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Definitely as a compliment!" Miyuki replied, sitting down beside her.

Lianna swooped her long and (finally) tangle-free hair into her usual bun and clipped it in place, letting out a breath of relief when she was finished.

The redhead yawned and fell onto her back, using her hands to shade her eyes from the sun that had just come out from behind the clouds.

"I had your lunch too..." Lianna began. "But I kind of dropped it on my way to school. I got you this instead." She took out the bun she had bought from Koharu-san's bakery. "It's all packed in this little cardboard box." She smiled.

"Oh- Thanks, Ann-chan!"

"Don't mention it."

"Is your class still moving around?" She asked, looking up at Lianna who was sitting and staring out into the trees. She sneezed before answering.

"Yeah- Kanako-sensei isn't coming back for a year since she's on maternity leave and the school board doesn't even have enough teachers to spare us one to teach our class... Meaning we still have to move from class to class until they decide what to do with us." Lianna sighed and reached for her schoolbag. "This only means that our 'learning' will be pretty uneven. Ah... Let's hope I don't do too bad in the placement tests..."

"Placement tests? Don't worry- you always ace those... although your failing scores in math do lower your average... Well, putting that aside, do you know which class you're going to be in?" Miyuki asked.

"Not now, but we've been having classes with yours a lot lately... That must mean something, right?"

"Kyaaa! That means you might be in my class again this year!"

"Yeah..."

"Which class are you with this morning?" She asked, now excited.

Lianna fished around in her bag for a single sheet. Finally, she withdrew a crumpled piece of lined notebook paper from the bottom of her schoolbag and read it, tracing the lines with her finger. "First period... Girls gym... with class 3-6 and 3-11."

"Ehhhh!?" Miyuki yelled, "3-6... That's my class! We have the same class this morning!"

"Yeah... and it's gym too. Perfect... Just what... I need..." Lianna's voice got quieter near the end of her sentence. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath like before. The pounding was back.

"You've got to be kidding me..." She thought. "How am I going to survive gym class with this..?"

"Ann-chan?"

She was startled when Miyuki suddenly called her name. "Eh-What is it?"

"We should probably put our books away now since we have gym first thing in the morning..."

"Yeah..." Lianna stuttered, now feeling slightly dizzy. "Sure."

When the bell rang, the two girls jumped and started picking up their things.

"Already?! I thought we had at least another five minutes!" Miyuki screamed, running out from under the tree and into a path.

"Hey...! Wait up..." She yelled from behind her.

When they were finally running back side-by-side, Miyuki realized something. "Ahhhh!!"

"Eh? What is it?" Lianna asked, surprised by her sudden outburst.

"I'm still in my gym clothes from practice! I never changed back into my uniform!"

"But... does that make a difference? We have gym this morning, remember?"

Miyuki let out a sigh of relief. "Ah... You're right!"

"But I told you no more than five minutes ago..." Lianna said, sweatdropping.

"Yes, but it went through one ear... and out the other." She grinned. "Like always!"

Lianna sighed. "Yeah. Like always... You..."

"Ann-chan...? What's wrong?"

After scanning the area they had been in only moments before quickly with her eyes, she turned and shook her head. "No... It's nothing... But I could have sworn that someone was behind us... or even... following us...?"

"It's just your imagination, Ann-chan. Now, hurry up! We're going to be late!" Miyuki ran in through the school's doors, dragging Lianna by the wrist with her.

...

From behind a tall shady oak tree, a Seigaku student stepped out with the wind blowing through his light hair and a satisfied smile upon his face.

...

Within minutes, Lianna and Miyuki found themselves with the other girls on the school's outdoor basketball court, playing a practice game.

"Ahhh! This is so mean!! I just finished with tennis, and now Sensei's making us play basketball?!" Miyuki whined, tugging on the bottom of Lianna's shirt.

"Miyuki. You're stretching it..."

"Ahhh... Sorry... It's just no fair, don't you think?" She asked, making puppy dog eyes at her best friend. "Don't you feel sorry for me?"

"No way." Lianna said, turning away.

"Ann-channnn!! You're so mean!" Miyuki cried, fake tears starting to build up.

"Don't complain about a club you've chosen freely to join. You picked it."

"Ah... But you're not in any clubs, so how can you speak?!"

"What do you mean I'm not in any clubs? The school_ requires_ all students to be part of a club. I'm part of one too, you know?"

"Really? I didn't know." Miyuki said, wide-eyed and interested. "Which one?"

"The library club. I told you a while ago." Lianna said, passing the ball she had just caught to a teammate.

"EH?! The library club?! No way! I thought you were just joking! But you?! In the library club?! I thought you belonged to the mu-"

"Why are you so amazed?" Lianna asked. "What's wrong with being part of the library club?"

"Sure... I knew you were smart, Ann-chan... And you do read a lot... But... It's hard to believe that you're- Ahh! Wait! The library club! Isn't that one of the clubs that only hold meetings once a week, instead of everyday?"

"Mmhmm. Every Monday, after school for an hour."

"Ah... I believe it now..." Miyuki said, sighing. "You only joined it because you wouldn't need to participate often..."

Lianna shrugged and smiled. "I have no idea what you mean."

She ran across the court towards the ball.

...

On Seigaku's large track, Fuji and Inui ran laps side by side, leading the group.

"Hey, Inui..." Fuji started.

"What is it, Fuji?"

"You have data on almost everyone in our school, right?"

"Almost everyone? I have data on everyone." He said, glasses shining evilly.

"Could you find out how many people in Seigaku play the violin?"

"Why?"

"No special reason. Just curious."

"Well, for one, there's Tou Mitsuki, a third year in your class." Inui said, reading from his notebook which was suddenly in his hands.

"My class? Oh yes... I remember her..."

"She's the president of the Music club with a concentration on the violin. She's said to be the best in the school with that instrument. Look down at the courts Fuji, she's the one with the long black hair on the left there."

But Fuji wasn't looking at her. Instead, he was staring at another girl with dark brown hair, who was standing beside her best friend, a cheery redhead. Another student passed the ball to her, but she didn't notice, resulting in a painful bump to the side of her head. She blinked and rubbed the spot before looking around frantically her to see where the ball was. She ran towards it and picked it up, dribbling and jogging a few steps forward before finally getting to the net. She threw it into the air and it bounced off the backboard, landing in the net. The girls burst out laughing and Lianna joined in shortly after, giggling away at how everyone had froze after the ball hit her, leaving her the chance to simply run a few steps and get a point.

Fuji chucked, and grinned. Inui pushed his glasses higher onto the bridge of his nose as he wrote something in his notebook, smiling.

...

After gym, Lianna walked with Miyuki into her classroom and took her seat. The boys has taken longer than the girls had to get out of the change rooms (for once) so the teacher had sent the girls back to the class, while she stayed behind, waiting for the guys. While many of the girls stood in groups and chattered, Lianna rested her head on the desk, using her arms as a pillow. She was going to use this time to get some rest. Her head was throbbing. Her stomach was growling. How she couldn't wait for lunch.

"Everything's... been so weird lately. More and more people... are pushing their way into my life... Didn't I promise myself that I wouldn't get close to anyone? Well... there's another promise I've broken..." She thought. Lianna could hear from somewhere in the background, a chair was being pushed around. "But wait... If I can't let anyone get close to me... then what was the point of leaving? What difference would that make from the life I had before? Nothing... I will treasure the friends I have now..." A door slide open. "What am I thinking?! This makes all the difference! In this life, I have friends that don't try to use me for my money or status- I have freedom to do what I choose. I have-" She could feel someone's breath on the back of her neck, sending shivers down her spine. Instinctively, she jumped, both arms flailing to the side, hitting someone hard.

She gasped and stood up from her chair when she saw someone with their head low and their hand on their stomach in pain. "I'm so sorry! I-" He raised his head and Lianna let out a breath of air. "Oh. It's only you. Sorry about that."

Fuji chuckled. "I was only going to do you the favor of waking you up before Sensei walks back into the class and finds you sleeping the day away."

"Well then- I'm up, thank you." Lianna said, sitting back down.

"Good morning then, Lia-san. And I wanted to thank you for last night."

Lianna froze. The class immediately burst out in whispers. The girls blushed upon hearing the words and the boys were awestruck at the fact that Fuji might actually have a girlfriend. The teacher walked back into the class and quieted everyone down, annoyed that she couldn't leave the class on their own for five minutes. Lianna sat in her seat- aware of the glances and whispers thrown her way. She sighed and looked down at her textbook, making a mental note to never get on Fuji Syuusuke's bad side.

...

When the lunch bell rang, Lianna gathered up her books quickly, shoved them into her schoolbag and rushed out of the class. She couldn't tell what emotion she was feeling. It was like annoyance... or anger... mixed with bitterness... and disbelief. On top of that- was confusion. Completely lost, Lianna ran towards Seigaku's worn out buildings, carrying her heavy bag in her arms. She was so absorbed in thought that she pushed the door open without checking to see if anyone was watching her. She closed it shut behind her and dashed up the stairs, quickly making her way to the top floor. Her forehead was beaded with sweat, but she hurried to the end of the hall, opening the door on her right. She couldn't help but smile when she opened the closet in the back of the room and saw the violin case, still hidden where she had left it. Lianna dropped her bags and opened the case and removed the instrument, lifting it with her left hand. She took her stance and rested her long bow on the strings. Releasing all thoughts, she moved her arm up and down- back and forth- faster... and faster... hitting each note sharper and sharper. Letting out a final breath of frustration, she slid the bow down, causing something devastating. When a single string snapped, Lianna jumped and opened her eyes in horror of what she had done. Letting her right hand drop of her side, she slowly lowered the instrument and held it before her.

"No..." She whispered, walking over to the nearby desk. Lianna set the bow down with a shaky hand and touched the spot with her finger where the string had broken. Closing her eyes, she took and deep breath and shook her head in disbelief. She placed the violin back into the case and snapped it shut without a word, putting it away in the back of the closet once again.

Lianna turned and walked out of the classroom in a daze. She couldn't believe what had happened. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't even notice when someone walked into her path as she exited the building.

"Um..." The girl said quietly. "Sempai?"

She blinked, surprised to find a young girl standing in front of her.

Lianna groaned and thought, "Wonderful. And here I thought nothing else could go wrong today. Oh Kami-sama... Here's another secret that's been found out..."

* * *

Thanx for reading and sorry once again for the slow update... I tried to make it longer this time :D Please review or message me with your opinions :D

- Isabella :)


	11. Chapter 10

_To the Reviewers (with infinite apologies for the super-long wait =.='):_

**hemiyami** - Sorry for making you keep your curiosity at bay for this long O_O ;P Hope this works... for now... Will update with the next chappie soon- promise ;P

**invisible-gurl** - Oh yeaa :P She heard Lianna alright O_o -- And this is why you -never- get on Fuji's bad side XD

**unknown player** - Thank you very much (:

**freedomwings26** - And he hasn't said anything about it yet O_O And Lianna's extremely worried he'd spaz and tell everyone ;P Let's hope he doesn't XD

* * *

_Chapter 10 - Teacher_

"Where you the one playing the violin?" She asked hesitantly.

The girl was rather short- and it looked like she was a first year at the school. Her black hair was shoulder-length and as wavy as Lianna's, and she had dark eyes. Deep and black. Those were the only words she could think of to describe them. Black as coal and deep like the ocean. After a short minute, Lianna had to break eye contact, for fear of being swallowed up entirely. She looked nervous to be talking to her senpai.

"I was. Yes." Lianna admitted, seeing no point in lying now.

The girl's eyes widened and she said, "It was amazing!" Quickly, she realized what she'd just said and flushed, looking down at her feet, occasionally looking up at Lianna, but then darting her eyes back to the ground.

Surprised, Lianna found herself laughing softly. "T-thank you..." She said, quietly.

She widened her eyes at her senpai's smile and turned redder, immediately trying to change the subject. "Eh... You... um... suddenly stopped. Half way through the song... Um....What... happened?"

Lianna tried to laugh , with no success. "A string snapped. Surely you heard that."

"I wasn't completely sure what that sound was... but I hoped that wasn't it... Your playing was so beautiful..." She stopped.

Lianna laughed quietly. "Thank you. But I don't think I'll be playing much on that violin anymore." She giggled and continued smiling. "It wouldn't do me any good to be practicing with one less string."

The girl looked at her senpai hesitantly. "Senpai... it might not be my place to say this..."

"Hm?"

"You can't be happy if a string just broke on your instrument. No one could... You're going to re-string it, right? It **is** something precious to you, right?" She asked, the look in her eyes showing that she wanted an answer.

Lianna didn't know what to say. She looked off to the ground out of the corner of her eye. "It is... precious to me... But no. I don't think I will."

"W-why not?" She asked, genuinely confused.

Lianna was speechless for the second time. "Well... I'm a very busy person. I have too much to do. I won't have time to play the violin like this anymore, so there's no point in my fixing it. That's why."

"I... I liked senpai's music. I thought it was amazing... And... You're going to quit? Why aren't you in the music club?"

It was then that Lianna noticed what was in the young 1st year's right hand – a dark red violin case. "You play the violin...?" She asked.

"Yeah..." Her smile faltered. "I'm still a beginner though. I'm nowhere near your level."

"Could..."

"Yes?" She asked, looking up at Lianna.

"...Could I... hear you play...?" She asked, staring wistfully at the case. When the girl widened her eyes at the question, Lianna quickly waved her hands to dismiss her sudden request. "Eh- sorry! I don't know what I was saying there- I mean, I just met you and...! That is- well- just forget what-"

"No, it's alright. Maybe if I play something, senpai might see why she needs to keep playing the violin." She gave Lianna a small and shy smile before opening the case and taking out a light brown violin and a long bow of the same color. She set the case on the ground and stepped back from it. Nervously, she took her stance with a deep breath. She placed the bow against the strings, and moved it downwards. Lianna cringed and her eyes snapped shut as the shrill sound pierced her sensitive ears. She opened her eyes when the noise ceased. The girl rested her violin on her shoulder and chucked, embarrassed.

"Oops..?"

Lianna blinked, utterly speechless. She hadn't heard a sound like that for the longest time... The last time she had heard such horrible squeaking was way back when she was only eight... from Tayu. It started out as a small giggle- and made it's way into full blown laughter. Finally noticing just what she was doing, Lianna apologized between pearls of laughter.

"I'm so sorry- I didn't mean to laugh! It's just- you-" She giggled for the last time, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Remind me so much of someone I knew. It was a shock."

The girl laughed and lowered her violin. "I don't mind. I usually get people laughing at my playing... but it's not always for that reason...You see, my friend from the music club is learning with me, and we're pretty much on the same level- except for the fact that he can actually play something. But... we need a teacher... Um... a... proper teacher..."

Lianna saw where this was going. She opened her mouth to protest, but the girl spoke first.

"Please teach us!" She yelled, dropping in a deep bow.

Lianna stood still in her spot. She shook her head, confused. "I don't think I can do that."

The girl rose and looked up. "Why?"

Lianna took a deep breath. "Like I said before, I'm really busy... and no one in this school knows I can play the violin- besides you. I'd rather not let anyone know either. To answer your question before, that's why I'm not in the music club."

"No one will have to know! I won't tell anyone that you're my teacher! Neither will Koumoi-senpai! I won't tell anyone! Please!"

Lianna stared wide-eyed at the girl. Her eyes were determined- like Lianna's had been a few years back. The words slipped out of her mouth uncontrollably. "Alright..."

The girl's dark eyes widened and her cheeks flushed. "You... will?"

Lianna still stood in front of her, wishing she hadn't agreed. She took another deep breath. "Yeah. I will. But you can't tell anyone. Please. You can't let anyone else know that I can play the violin. Tell that to your Koumoi-senpai for me too."

"T-thank you... Thank you!" The girl yelled, excited. "I... I'll tell him! Thank you!"

"What's your name?"

"Mitsumi Nanou. I'm a first year- in class 1-2!"

Lianna turned away. "Amane Lianna. You'd better get going. This place is off limits, remember? It wouldn't be good if someone found a first year exploring this old building."

"Ah- Yes..." She could hear the footsteps of the young girl run off, and then stop. "Thank you... Amane-senpai!" She ran off again.

With Lianna's back facing her, Nanou didn't see her senpai's face – or the small smile upon it.

...

Lianna walked back into the school and immediately sensed numerous glares on her back. She could hear the faint whispers of gossip nearby with each step. Her head was throbbing even harder than before.

"It's her..."

"She's not even in the fan-club! How come she gets to-"

"Did you hear about what's happening between-"

"She was totally flirting with Fuji-sama this morning! What a-"

"I hate her! Just look at her walking by without-"

Lianna walked into the nearest classroom and shut the door behind her. Slowly, she slid to the ground and sat with her brown eyes closed, massaging her temples.

"Great... I blame this all on you Fuji..." She mumbled quietly.

"What are you blaming Fujiko for -nya?"

Lianna's eyes snapped open. She started forward to see the dark red hair of a classmate. "Kiku...maru-san..."

Sitting at the desk was Fuji, Eiji, and a few other people Lianna didn't recognize. Probably other tennis 'regulars'. Fuji smiled down at Lianna who immediately got up.

"Sorry- I thought this was an empty class. My apologies for interrupting." She bowed quickly and straightened up, smiling at Fuji before turning around and sliding the door open.

...

"Woahhh... Fujiko... Do you know her?" Eiji asked after Lianna had left.

Fuji was still smiling and looking in the door's direction. "Yes. We've met."

"Something happen between you two? I've never seen that look from a girl before! Especially not directed at you! It was such a cold smile -nya... You saw it right, Oishi?" He shivered.

He nodded. "Eiji's right, Fuji." He took a bite out of his lunch. "I've never seen anyone get angry at you before- Well- I've never seen a girl angry at you. That smile really sent chills down my spine..." He shivered. "Just what did you do to her?"

Fuji remained silent as three of the four third years sitting with him exchanged looks.

"At least tell us who she is. I don't think I've seen her around before. Is she an exchange student-nya? When did you two meet?" Eiji asked, taking a large bite from his bread and swallowing.

"She's been at this school since last year." The one sitting beside Oishi said, finally speaking. He flipped the page in his notebook. "Third year, class 3-3, Amane Lianna. Am I correct, Fuji?"

Fuji continued smiling. "Yes. Right as always, Inui."

"Lianna? As in Mi-chan's friend? The short girl with the glasses? That was her?" Eiji asked, stunned.

Inui continued. "There's a rumor going around about you and Amane, Fuji. I'm sure you know about it."

Fuji grinned. "Yes. And no."

"Rumor? There's never been a rumor about Fujiko!" Eiji said, shocked. "Everyone likes Fujiko. No one would spread a rumor about him."

Inui pushed his glasses into the correct place on the bridge of his nose. "Yes... But this rumor was started because of something Fuji _himself _had said just this morning, if my sources are reliable."

Fuji's smile grew. "Continue, Inui. What else does the rumor say?"

"You seem to be enjoying this, Fuji." A tall boy with brown hair and glasses said, looking at Fuji who was sitting beside him. "What are you planning?"

"Planning? Why do you think I'm planning something? I'm just curious to know what people are saying about me" He replied, the same smile still glued to his face. "You over think things too much, Tezuka."

"Keep going Inuiiiii! I want to know more-nya!" Eiji whined

He cleared his throat and continued. "Long story made short, people are saying that there's something going on between Fuji and Amane-san. But after seeing what happened just now, I'm guessing that it's not true, is it Fuji?"

"Something going on-nya? Of course there's something going on! Did you see how she smiled at Fujiko? It was like she wanted to hit him over the head with something! A smile like that was almost as-"

Oishi sighed. "Eiji." He whispered something in his best friend's ear.

Eiji's eyes widened. "Oh. I get it now." He flushed. "Well... Fujiko's never had a girlfriend before... has he? Fujiko's fan club's huge – but if I don't think he's ever been confessed to before... or been on a date..." He stopped to think. "But... He's never really taken the time to get close to a girl before, anyways-nya."

Oishi cleared his throat nervously. "Ehh... Eiji..." He called quietly.

"And I don't remember ever seeing him with just one girl before- He's always surrounded by mobs... But never just-"

"Eiji... Eiji!"

"Oishi..." Eiji looked at his double's partner, annoyed that he was interrupted. "Whatttt?"

He coughed and motioned to look in Fuji's direction.

Eiji turned to see what Oishi had thought so important to cut him short –and he soon realized why.

"Nyaa... Fujiko's smile is still scarier than Lia-chan's..." Eiji thought, turning around slowly.

...

Lianna walked down the crowded hallway until she got outside. She walked to the usual place she normally met her friends for lunch. Even in the distance, she could see Miyuki's bright orange hair standing out among the other raven colored heads. As she came closer, she heard their talking die down. They looked up at her from their spots.

"Lianna...! Where were you?" Connie asked, breaking the silence.

"Away. I had to deliver some papers for Meii-sensei." Lianna said, taking her seat beside Miyuki.

"I see..." She said, smiling awkwardly.

They could all feel the eyes of countless fangirls on their backs. Miyuki took a bite of her bread and swallowed uncomfortably. Connie cleared her throat and sipped at her juice.

"Those fangirls have been pressuring us to tell them something about this... situation all morning... I wish they'd just leave it alone!" Hiraka whispered stiffly.

Lianna sighed and tilted her head to the side. "Honestly... There's nothing going on between me and Fuji, contrary to what any rumors might say. It's none of my business what others think of me. I could really care less if they believed me or not. If people would rather think that their beloved 'Fuji-sama' has any attraction to me what-so-ever or vice versa, they may. But really, do they even realize how ridiculous they sound?"

She rubbed her temples for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning.

"I can't believe... that I actually thought for a moment that you two were... together..." Miyuki said awkwardly. "I feel like an idiot. Ann-channn! I'm sorrryyyyy!" Her bright eyes filled with giant blobs of tears. "Forgive me!" She wailed.

Lianna sighed and flicked Miyuki on the forehead. "I thought you knew me better than that. You always have to turn on the waterworks for the slightest trouble. Don't worry Miyuki. I'd never do that to you." She coughed dryly. "Okay... That was -not- on purpose."

Miyuki blinked. She placed her hand on Lianna's forehead. "Ahhh! Ann-chan! You're burning up! Are you alright?!"

"What are you talking about? I'm fine." Lianna assured her, removing her hand. "I think I just need some sleep. I'll see you after lunch- I need to get to the infirmary to see if they can do anything about my sight. I might need a spare pair until I can get some new glasses."

Lianna got up from her chair, sighing.

...

Lunch was almost over. Fuji thought that he might as well stop by at the courts since he was nearby anyways. As he stepped closer to the fenced in area, he noticed the sound of people practicing. Fuji loved to watch others play tennis from afar without knowing that anyone was watching. Sometimes, they'd make extremely hilarious mistakes, or from time to time, demonstrate a skill he never knew they had, either way amusing him plenty, especially since he never went anywhere without his camera. But he didn't have time to do this today- he was just going to step in, and maybe meet up with another regular.

"Fuji-senpai."

He looked up to see his (rather short ;P) kouhai walking through the opening in the fence.

"Echizen... Practicing during the lunch hour?"

"Yeah. I'll play a game with you if you're going to practice too." He said, smirking.

Fuji smiled and shook his head. "The bell's going to ring in about 15 minutes. I just dropped in to see if anyone was here."

The raven haired boy smirked. "15 minutes is more than enough time for me to-"

"Kyaaa!!! Momoshiro-kunnnn!! You can do it!!! Fight-o!"

Fuji turned to see a group of second year girls just a few meters away from them.

A tall dark-haired boy turned away from his game to grin at the giggling bunch.

"Thank y-"

A ball bounced against his head, knocking him over.

"Momo-senpai..." Ryoma sighed as he shook his head.

The girls giggled louder, as Momo flushed and turned to yell at his opponent.

"Hey Kaidou! What's your problem?!" He shouted, angrily.

"Pay attention to the game." A boy with messy black hair and a green bandana hissed back walking towards the net.

One of the girls cringed at the yelling.

He stomped forward, glaring. "Who do you think you are, _Mamushi_?" He grabbed the collar of his shirt roughly and stared him in the eyes. Kaidou grabbed hold of Momo's shirt, narrowing his eyes.

The girl who had cringed earlier was running to the doors of the gate as fast as she could, in a panicked state. Fuji's eyes opened in shock when he noticed the wet grass by the entrance.

"Stop! Watch out!" He yelled, trying to warn her of the oncoming danger.

She didn't hear him since her eyes were glued on the two furious regulars out on the court. She ran as fast as she could until her left foot slid on a patch of damp grass. Her eyes widened and took a sharp breath of air as she fell backwards, her back head only a few inches from a steel post. The girl forced her eyes shut and prepared for impact.

She heard the voices of her friends, shouting her name, but she didn't dare open her eyes.

"Renaaa!"

Her eyes snapped open and she saw her friends rushing towards her. She also noticed she was sitting on someone. She flushed and wiggled out from underneath the person's arm, watching Momo run over towards her, calling her name and another's.

"Rena-chan! Senpai..! Fuji-senpai!"

Rena turned to see the person behind her, shocked at the sight of Fuji, leaning against the metal post with the side of his shirt and his right arm splattered with mud. His eyes were closed and his lips were curved into a gentle smile.

"Are you alright, Rena-san?"

Her voice was lost. As she slowly regained it and her breathing evened, she stuttered to reply. "Eh... y-yeah... I'm... fine."

Fuji stood, offering his hand and a smile. "You should get up before mud gets all over your uniform."

Rena blushed and let out a breath- her face was red and hot. She made sure not to make eye contact with her sempai as she reached for his hand. Instead, her eyes lingered on his shoulder, then his arm. Rena's eyes widened when she noticed a trail of dark red trickling down Fuji's arm, partially hidden between crumbs of dried earth. "Senpai... your... your arm!" Her own hand retracted and moved to cover her mouth.

"Hm? Don't worry- I'm fine. It's nothing but a scratch." He glanced at his arm, just to make sure.

Rena flushed at the sight, lost in Fuji's blue eyes. "I guess everyone's right..." She thought helplessly. "One look and you'd melt... I wonder if that's why... he rarely shows them..."

As she looked up at him in a daze, he turned to her after closing his eyes. "Rena-san?"

Her friends rushed to her rescue, lifting her from the ground.

"Thanks for your help Fuji-senpai!" One of them said, laughing awkwardly at the situation. "We gotta go! Right, Rena?"

Leaning against her friends, she blinked and nodded quickly. "Yeah.. um... I mean... Yes! We all have to go... Right now! Thank you... Fuji-senpai..." She ran away quickly and extremely embarrassed, leaving behind three confused regulars.

* * *

Sorry for the long wait =.=' This chappie probably isn't enough to satisfy you for that long wait- but I thought, I might as well split up what I was working on into two chapters instead of one... It'll give you something to read ;P Hope it isn't too boring =.='

~Isabella

PS - Happy Late New Years Minnaa =D -- Hoping for reviews :D


	12. Chapter 11

_Chapter 11 – The Nurse's Office  
_

"What a pain..." Lianna thought, walking the densely packed hallways of Seishun Gakuen.

She had escaped the gossiping... for now. Step by step, she was nearing the dark brown sign hanging off the ceiling. In clear white paint, "Infirmary" was written upon it. Finally getting to the tall white door, she reached out and turned the silver doorknob, shivering at the sharp chilling sensation from the cold steel. As she walked in, she was immediately overwhelmed by the sudden smell of disinfectant.

"I've been at Seishun Gakuen for about a year... and I've only been here once before. It still looks... and smells the same..." She thought, closing the door behind her and walking into the small room hesitantly.

Everything was white, from the walls, ceiling and floor to the bed sheets and curtains. Looking around the small room, Lianna saw a middle-aged woman who rolled out on her chair from behind her desk. She was of average height, maybe an inch or two taller than Lianna, with warm brown eyes and black hair, with the odd gray streak here and there. Her face seemed to light up as she smiled.

"Hello. Can I help you with something, dear?"

"Oh... I..." Lianna began, not knowing where to start.

"Come over here. You have a fever, is that right? Feeling a bit under the weather?" She asked, motioning for Lianna to take a seat on the small bed in the corner of the room.

"You can tell?" Lianna asked, lightly putting a hand to her forehead. "It can't be that bad. I mean, all-"

"You're flustered. Lie down before you fall over!"

Lianna slid under the crisp white sheets as the nurse wheeled over to her and took her temperature. Finally in a resting position, she could hear her heart race in her chest and noticed that her uneven breathing was heavy and hot.

"Alright. So maybe I'm not exactly feeling the best today..." She thought.

"It's not that bad, but do you know what you did to get this, child?" The nurse asked.

"I have no- Oh... yes..." Lianna pulled the white sheets closer, cursing inwardly at herself. "I was walking home in the rain yesterday... and then I guess I didn't dry off properly"

The woman shook her head. "You must be more careful next time, alright... Oh, I didn't get your name. I'll need the name of your teacher too so I can make a phone call to both your parents and your teacher to tell them you won't be in class."

Lianna tore the sheets off quickly upon hearing the nurse. "I'll be fine. I can't afford to miss any classes and you definitely don't need to bother my family about this! If you could just give me some medicine, I'll be on my way, sensei."

The nurse smiled but sighed as she got up from her chair gestured at Lianna to lie back down. "The best thing for you right now isn't medicine, but just some sleep. I won't call your parents if you don't want me to, but I'm sure you can just copy off a friend's notes later on. Now rest."

Lying on the small, but surprisingly comfortable bed, Lianna felt every muscle in her body relax and she nodded slightly. The nurse had reached her desk when Lianna spoke, her voice laced with sleep.

"My name's Lianna... Class 3-3... But you promise... you won't call home?"

If Lianna had opened her eyes, she would have seen the older woman's lips curve up slightly in a smile and then put down the phone she had picked up only seconds before. "I promise."

...

It had been rather hard for Fuji to get to the nurse's office. It wasn't because his injury hurt, or that he didn't know where it was. It was because the mobs of Fuji fangirls had crowded around him, slowing him down immensely. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he reached the door with the brown sign hanging from the ceiling in front of it. He swung the door open and walked in. No one was inside. He sat down on the light gray chair near the curtain and waited. Eventually the nurse would be back. She was probably out to grab her lunch. It was lunch time after all.

From inside the office, he could hear the faint noises of students talking and the sound of their shoes against the hard tiled floors. Still, the infirmary was quiet. And Fuji didn't mind it. But there was something louder.

"I don't think it's coming from the hallway, is it..?" He thought, turning towards the door and listening for it again.

It sounded like mumbling.

"Nii-san."

His heart almost stopped from the sudden noise after all that silence. Fuji stood up and turned around to look at the white curtain, hanging from the ceiling. With his left hand, which was clean of mud, he pulled it aside, revealing a certain third year student, fast asleep. His eyes widened in surprise and he took a step closer.

"Amane-san..?"

As he looked at her, he noticed that her cheeks were faintly pink. Her eyes were closed, so he couldn't see those chocolate brown orbs, but without her glasses on, he realized her eyelashes were quite long and dark against her fair skin. He had never looked upon a girl's face for such a long time before for obvious reasons, such as the fact that she would notice for sure. But Lianna was asleep and her eyes were shut. His gaze slowly moved down her face to her pink lips which were slightly parted from her mumbling. His thoughts were hazy.

"Don't let them take me.. Nii-san..."

He froze upon hearing her speak. His left hand was only millimeters away from her lips and he stopped himself on the spot. Immediately, he tore his eyes away from her and sat back down on the chair, looking in the opposite direction.

"What in the world was I thinking? What in the world was I doing?!" He thought, trying to regain his usual calmness. He felt heat rising to his cheeks.

It was then the door opened and a middle-aged woman in a white uniform walked in.

"Fuji Syuusuke-kun. It's been a long time since you've been in this office. Another tennis accident?" The nurse asked, glancing at his right arm.

"No, Asuka-sensei. This time, I took a fall outside of the courts."

"I see. You're all muddy too. I'll get you a spare uniform from the front office once I patch you up here." She said.

Fuji sat down as she soaked a clean white towel with some lukewarm water from the nearby sink. Dragging a low stool from under her desk and placing it in front of Fuji's chair, she sat down and started cleaning off his wound.

"Well, it's pretty long but not that deep at all. It looks a lot worse than it really is." She said, smiling at Fuji.

"That's good to know. It doesn't hurt much, but it bled a lot when I first cut it on the fence."

"I see. This is going to sting a little." She said, wiping disinfectant over his arm.

Fuji sat still with his smile still glued to his face and laughed. "Well, at least I know I still have feeling in that arm."

"You're going to have to take a break from tennis with this injury, Fuji-kun."

Fuji sat quietly in his spot, trying to register those words in his mind before replying. "A break... from tennis. Yes, of course."

There was a moment of silence before Fuji spoke again.

"That girl over there," He turned his head in Lianna's direction. "Is she doing alright? She was talking in her sleep."

"Oh, do you know her, Fuji?"

"She's a classmate."

The nurse chuckled. "She's young. She'll be fine. She had a bit of a fever, but she's lucky she caught it early on so it didn't get any worse. That's what she gets for walking in the rain and then not drying off properly."

Fuji only kept his fixed smile in place. "I see."

Lianna mumbled a bit more and the nurse turned to smile at her.

"You know Fuji, that girl reminds me a lot of my late daughter." She said, with a rather melancholic smile. "Young and careless... Independent and not wanting to worry her parents... Sweet... but extremely stubborn." She laughed. "And I've only talked with her for about 5 minutes, if not less."

Neither one said a word as she continued to tend to Fuji's wound. Lianna broke the silence.

"Nii-san..." Lianna spoke again. "I'm sorry... I didn't tell you." Her mumbling turned to whispering by the end of her sentence.

"She must be having a bad dream." The nurse said, before getting up and looking in her cabinets.

"Oh my..."

"What's wrong, sensei?" Fuji asked.

"I do believe I'm out of bandages. I'll be right back. I'm going to get some from the supply closet down the hall. Just stay right there."

"I don't have anywhere I need to be. Don't worry, I won't run away." He said smiling.

The nurse left and Fuji tried to clear his mind of what 'happened' earlier. But the more he tried not to think about it, the more he thought about it. Though this time around, he thought about what Lianna had been mumbling.

"Don't let them take me... eh?" Fuji thought. "And calling for 'Nii-san' the entire time. She must really depend on him... They seemed really close for people that aren't family."

He felt a slight twinge in his chest before he thought deeper.

"Although Kojiro-san isn't her real brother, she must think of him like an older brother... Just an older brother." And the slight pain was gone.

"Wait. What am I thinking?" He quickly shifted his thoughts. "But I wonder what she was apologizing for? What didn't she tell him?" He thought, now slightly interested. "Was she feeling bad for not telling him about what happened last evening? It didn't seem like it yesterday. "

"There must be something more..." He said aloud, thinking of all things he'd feel like apologizing to his older sister for. "I can't think of a thing. Kami-sama, I've only known her for a few days after all. I hardly know anything about her!"

"And yet," He thought. "It doesn't feel like it... I don't know how I-"

"Fuji...?"

Fuji turned to look at the girl who was supposed to be asleep. Lianna slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"You're awake. Are you feeling any better Amane-san?"

Lianna blinked as her eyes widened. "Fuji Syuusuke. Just what are you doing in my room?!"

Fuji chucked. "That's the first time I've heard her say my given name before." He thought, smirking.

"Your room, Amane-san? Take a closer look."

Confused and still half-asleep, Lianna turned her head slowly to observe her surroundings.

"Oh yes... I remember... The nurse's office... Right... Sorry about that, Fuji-_san_."

"Don't worry about it."

"What happened to you? You're covered in mud and-"

Her eyes rested on the long gash on his right arm. The nurse had cleaned it up, but a new supply of blood was slowly seeping out from under his skin. She looked away.

"What happened to your arm?"

Fuji raised an eyebrow and glanced down at his wound. Taking some cotton pads from a nearby tray, he wiped the blood away, realizing why Lianna had turned away so abruptly. His smile grew.

"I cut it on the fence outside around the tennis courts." He said, throwing the soiled cotton into the wastebasket.

Lianna turned back around but her eyes were fixed on his face. "Really?"

"Yes."

"How'd that happen? You don't seem like the type of person who'd run into a fence accidentally."

Fuji chuckled. "Really? You just met me yesterday and already know what type of person I am?"

"Somewhat. But you're an odd one, Fuji." She turned away for the second time. "Unpredictable."

She paused before continuing and then looked him in the eye. "You know... I appreciate how you haven't told anyone about what happened yesterday."

"And what part of yesterday are we talking about here?"

"All of it."

"What would I gain from telling someone else?"

Lianna raised an eyebrow. Fuji chuckled and gave her what looked like an amused smirk.

"I won't tell a soul. It'll be our little secret."

Lianna laughed and fell back onto the bed, her head resting on the cushioned pillow. She stared at the ceiling and asked a question of which she'd been dying to know the answer.

"Say, Fuji... yesterday... in the rain... Before you knocked out that guy... Did you happen to catch anything we were talking about?"

"The rain was too loud. His voice was low and you were barely speaking."

"Fuji... That doesn't answer my question."

He paused for a second. Lianna noticed it.

"No." He said. "It all sounded like mumbling. I didn't hear even a bit of your conversation."

She felt relieved, but still suspicious.

"Why did he hesitate?" She thought, "Did he actually hear something...? But Fuji has no reason to lie. He couldn't have heard anything... He couldn't have."

"I have your jersey by the way. It's in my bag." Lianna said, trying to change the flow of the conversation.

"Oh. That was fast."

"But... I left my bag with Miyuki..."

"Come by the tennis courts today after school if you don't mind. I'll be there."

"Alright, I will."

The door swung open for the fifth time since Lianna had gotten there. The nurse walked in with a plastic bag full of assorted bandages.

"I'm sorry I took so long. Whoever organized the storage did a terrible job. I couldn't find a thing easily." She looked over at Lianna who was still lying down. "Good to see you awake. Are you feeling better?"

Lianna sat up and smiled at the nurse gratefully. "Yes, actually... The pounding's stopped and I feel pretty normal. Thanks, sensei."

"No need to thank me. It's my job, dear."

The nurse sat back down on the stool and began to wrap a bandage around Fuji's arm.

"Remember, I don't want to be hearing that you've been out practicing. This cut isn't too deep, but your arm is definitely not up to playing tennis."

Fuji nodded as Lianna stared in silence.

"Not able to play tennis... until it heals... eh..?" She thought. "He must feel awful..."

"Don't worry, sensei." Fuji said, getting up on his feet once the bandaging was complete. "I'll sit out during practices. The team will understand, although Tezuka might have me run laps for the rest of my life."

He laughed. "The only thing I'm worried about is the tournament coming up. Hopefully it heals before then and I'll have enough time left to practice. If not, there will always be other tournaments, right?"

Seconds after he stopped talking, Lianna got off the bed and dropped in a bow. "Thanks for everything but I'll be heading back to class now."

Lianna was at the door in an instant and swiftly left the room. She couldn't stand to be in the infirmary any longer. Every part of her body had screamed at her to leave and she had obliged. Even now, her legs were moving her down the empty hallways faster than she had ever run before. She needed to get further. That much was certain. Getting closer to her classroom door, she slowed down to a walk. Everyone was already inside. Class had already been going on for about half an hour.

Swallowing, Lianna leaned against the wall beside the closed door.

"What am I doing?" She thought, closing her eyes. "Why did I run away?"

She drew a breath and calmed down. "I already know why... Stupid Fuji."

* * *

**  
Note:** I know I said I'd be no longer continuing this story, but I did have second thoughts about it once Summer Vacation started. I have so much spare time now and writing is the only thing I can think of to keep myself occupied. Again, I know I said the chance of me coming back to continue _Difference _would be slim to none, but here I am (;

Another chappie- Hope it's not confusing O_o

~Isabella


	13. Chapter 12

_Chapter 12 – Contemplation_

Lianna leaned against the wall beside her classroom door. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"Stupid. Stupid. Stupid." She whispered.

"Why did he smile? Why? And then he _had_ to go and make a joke out of it!" She thought furiously. "To think that I was actually starting to develop some kind of respect for him! Ugh!"

Slowly, she slid to the ground and sat, hugging her legs to her chest.

"I thought..." She said quietly. "Tennis... was something precious to him."

Her eyes widened at the words that just came out of her mouth. Her hand covered her mouth as all her fury dissolved.

"Something... precious... was that it?" She whispered.

Her kohai's voice rang through her mind.

_"You can't be happy if a string just broke on your instrument. No one could... You're going to re-string it, right? It __**is**__ something precious to you, right?"_

"Fuji... smiled... and laughed..." She thought, "Just like I did... That certainly doesn't make me any better than him."

She flushed and buried her head in the pastel green of her skirt.

"How embarrassing!" Lianna whispered to herself. "How could I have gotten mad at him when I did the exact same thing he did?! I'm such a hypocrite! No- _why_ did I get mad in the first place? His problems are none of my business! So what if he can't play tennis anymore! I don't care!"

The small scene in the infirmary kept playing over and over in her head. The more she thought about it, the more embarrassing it got. Lianna felt heat rise to her cheeks, making her feel even hotter than when she had her fever.

"Kami-sama... I'm burning up, again! But I was feeling fine just minutes ago." She thought.

"What is wrong with me today?" She mumbled into the pleats of her skirt.

"Amane-san?"

A clear voice rang though the empty hallways. Lianna's flinched and raised her head to see who was calling for her. From behind disheveled strands of dark hair, her eyes rested on Fuji. The tennis tensai was at the end of the hallway, and had just turned the corner. Lianna took a quick breath in surprise and shot up off of the ground. She slid the classroom door open and entered, almost slamming it shut behind her. She was met by the stares of her classmates, which had been preoccupied with seat work only moments before.

"Amane-san, are you feeling better?" The teacher asked, smiling warmly from her desk. "Asuka-sensei called to excuse you from class. I didn't think you'd be back so soon."

"I'm feeling much better... Sorry for interrupting the class..." She said quietly, giving a quick bow in apology.

As she straightened up, the door slid open behind her. Fuji entered, smiling as usual.

"Oh, Fuji-san. You're back too?"

"Yes, sensei."

"How's the arm?"

"It doesn't bother me. I'm feeling much better. I apologize for interrupting the class."

Lianna's eyes widened at the similarity of what they had both said and quickly walked to the back of the classroom, taking a seat in the empty desk beside Miyuki.

"Did I miss much?" She whispered, avoiding eye contact with anyone but her best friend.

"Not much, Ann-chan. We did mostly review" Miyuki handed Lianna her notebook. "You can copy off the notes I took down for today's class and then see Sensei after class for the worksheets."

Lianna looked down at the dark brown bag by her best friend's feet.

"I'm sorry about my bag," She said. "It must have been a pain for you to carry around all that time."

Miyuki giggled quietly and used her foot to slide it closer to Lianna. "You do the same thing for me nearly everyday before school. This one time doesn't matter much to me, Ann-chan! Just don't make a habit of it, kay?"

"Miyuki... Thanks."

She smiled. "No problem!"

Lianna bent over and undid the fastenings on her schoolbag, taking a notebook and a pen from inside. Opening up to a fresh page, she glanced across the room at Fuji, who had been forced to take the last empty seat. As if sensing the petite brown eyed girl, he turned in her direction, smiling happily.

Lianna quickly directed her attention back down towards her desk and read through Miyuki's elaborate cursive. Copying all the information onto her blank notebook paper, she was fully aware of Fuji's stare on her back.

Class passed by painfully slowly.

When the final bell rang, Lianna shot up from her seat and walked straight to the teacher's desk.

"I apologize for missing the lesson."

"It's all fine, Amane-san. Asuka-sensei told me about your fever. She said it would be best if you got some rest. I hope you take that into consideration this evening. I wouldn't want you missing my class again because of something more serious."

"Thank you."

The older woman smiled as she pulled two sheets from a folder, handing them to Lianna. "This is the work you missed today. I'd appreciate it if you could get the notes from another classmate."

"Would you happen to have extra copies of those for me as well, Sensei?" Came an oh-too familiar voice.

From out of the corner of her eye, Lianna spied Fuji at her side, with his usual smile glued in place. Few students were left in the class now. Miyuki was waiting patiently by the door.

"Oh, yes." The teacher reached back into the red folder.

"Thank you, Sensei." Lianna bowed quickly and turned, rushing over to her red-headed friend at the exit. She knew she was being rude to Fuji, but talking to him after rushing out of the office so suddenly would be awkward. It would have to wait for another time.

"Let's go, Miyuki! I'm starving!" She said, smiling brightly.

"Alright.. Ann-chan..." Miyuki said, with a worried expression.

By the time the two girls exited the school, about half of the student population had left for home already. Miyuki sped up and stopped directly in front of her shorter companion.

"Ann-chan."

Lianna stopped and looked her best friend directly in the eyes, still smiling. "What is it, Miyuki?"

"Are you alright?"

"Not really." She laughed. "I'm starving because I... remembered I forgot to back a lunch. I feel slightly ill, but alot better..."

"Is that it..?"

"And there's something about Fuji that's just bugging me."

Miyuki laughed. "Really? What?"

Lianna glanced to the side. "I don't know Miyuki. It's just something.."

The conversation ended there, with a giant glomp, courtesy of Miyuki.

"You'll feel better soon." She said, letting go slightly. "You'll get over it."

"Oh yeah?" Lianna asked, smirking. "And how exactly do you know this?"

"You always do."

Lianna chucked. "Thanks Miyuki. But head on home, I have some business to take care of first. Say hi to Makoto-kun and Haru-chan for me, okay?"

Miyuki giggled, pearls of laughter escaping from beneath the hands she held up to her mouth. "Yeah."

She ran past the gates of Seishun Gakuen and waved an arm in the air rapidly. "See you tomorrow, Ann-channnnnn!!"

Lianna returned her farewells with a smile and a small wave of her right hand before heading to the tennis courts. Alone, she let out a heavy sigh.

"Just remembered... I still need to return Fuji's jacket."

* * *

Again, I'm SUPER sorry I'm extremely late T_T  
Please forgive this unworthy fanfiction-ist & Thanks for reading (:

- Isabella


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